Interactive Desktop "Persocom"
 

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Manga-style comic book series, 'Chobits'. It's a series based on an android-type machine, known as a "Persocom". These persocoms are made to outwardly look as similar to human beings as possible, most often made to resemble females. They are useful in that, while they walk, talk, reason, and do everything but eat and use the 'facilities', they also do everything that a computer does (Persocom = Personal Computer, or Person Compter).

This got me to thinking: though persocoms are not yet possible with our existing technology, what about an animated 2D version for a computer's desktop? I know that with all the technology buffs on this forum, someone could create one. It looks wonderful in my head: the program would come with mutiple visual options (as in what it would look like, male/female, most physical attributes), a voice of it's own so it can talk to you with preprogrammed sentences and phrases (downloadable from the official website), and could assist with many programs, like word processing (with a built-in spell checker/grammar checker/thesaurus, etc, which is "universal" to all text fields), an alarm that can be used to alert you of important things on your calendar, incoming email, and many other things.

Am I just nuts in thinking this is possible, or does someone out there think it can be pulled off? And, on the tail of that thought, can someone within this forum do it? I'd be glad to bash minds with someone who has the technical knowhow (and time, sheesh) to undertake this project, to share ideas and the like.

Any takers?

~Mark

I heard that there were already available strippers for your desktop... programmers have odd jobs these days, eh? :D

Not strippers...*sigh*...I knew someone would make a childish remark like that at some point. I mean somethign useful, that might be able to fill in some of the programming that Windows leaves out.

good stuff "Mon"!! LOL! :D

I saw this thing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas...that was like these 3d glasses that you put on with wire (USB) that connects to your computer. It gives 3d images from these special image files, that are basically two images shown at the same time. The glasses switch between the two images very quickly, in fact, to fast to notice. I got to try it and the examples that they used were pictures of women, with almost no clothes on, I guess to persuade the company represenatives of various companies to buy the product. It was a full 3d effect from almost a pair of sun glasses.

Not to be a party pooper, but let's not stray from the subject here.

It's like Clippit on steroids!!

Anyway, it sounds like a fun project to do (though not to use, see my earlier sentence), if I were better at coding, I would try. I'm too busy learning OO programming in PHP to code my own BB

i love chobits.

on a note more on topic, have you ever heard of bonzi buddy? hehe :D cause thats basically what you described..

Except Bonzai Buddy comes with a pile of Spyware, free of charge!

So, am I the only one a little creeped out by man's incessant desire to make their computers into sexually objectified, submissive women?

Krass, grow up. This is a perfectly reasonable and mature post, perhaps you shouldn't be posting on it.

I tried the bonzai buddy...but it's a monkey. I dunno, maybe that's why, but I never quite managed to get used to it. I think that alot of people, myself included, would be more comfortable with something that looks human, do you know what I mean? Be it male, female, or whatever. Perhaps someone coule get a hold of the scripts for the Bonzai Buddy (with the creator's permission, of course!) and altet them slightly, giving a different appearance, and adding the audio stuff? I dunno the techs of it since I'm far from a programming buff, but maybe someone else here does.

I'm sorry.

Let's review. You'd like to develop software that, among other things -

• has an exceptionally customizable human appearance
• serves you

This isn't creepy, how? Forgive me if I can't ignore the implications of trying to create, in any capacity, a facsimile of a person that exists only to serve you and complete your menial tasks.

Programs that perform spell check, keep track of appointments, and otherwise organize your life are one thing. Personifying them is just a bit too much, and really, quite strange.

In the future, I'd appreciate if you left the meaningless insults to another forum. It makes what tiny justification you might have, and what little public opinion -- in the form of, "Oh, it's harmless," -- go away even quicker.

M's got a point, it's pretty creepy, I mean a utility is one thing but I don't want my computer to be friends with me. Also, from a resource standpoint AI coding can really eat CPU power and I don't wanna hear about "oh I have seven million gigajiggahertz!". Doesn't matter, there's a reason you need high performance systems for gaming, between keep a good clean image stable (which uses even more resources when it shares the screen) and the logistics behind it plus normal activities you're running low on resources. Also, you have consider the ethical side of this which I'm not getting in to because that's a whole different level altogether.

Why does this remind me of something Microsoft has already done?

Oh. This is why:

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=38449
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=948133

Sounds like a dumb idea, to me.

this sounds kinda dumb, only because when i used to use windows, i was always trying to kill the $@#$@#$@#$@# things that popped up on the screen and tried to help me (IE, clippit).

if you need a animated human (with or without clothes) to tell you when you have an appointment, i think you should work more on getting a bit organized, than trying to make something that already exists (bonzi buddy).

hell, a PDA is more useful. my dad has a Palm V, whenever he has something, it beeps, he'll pull it out, and go "ok, i have to go to bob's house and help with his computer at 12." plus, a PDA you can bring with you, a stupid little program that wastes resources can stay on your computer, which doesn't do you much good if you're at school / work / out / etc.

you gotta think about what the benefits and the wastes are, and this idea just has no good points that I can see, and if it does have any, the definitely don't outweigh the pointlessness of it.

This is exactly why I don't post often in here. It seems like every idea I have that I try to submit to some of the brilliant and not so brilliant minds here, not only do I get shot down, but I get shot down disrespectfully. Not that everyone does it, but many do. Not once did I even come close to being anywhere near mentioning having the onscreen buddy be any type of "playmate" in any way, and the only way I can imagine that this even came onto the thread was from an immature mind. Secondly (looks at M.), I frankly don't care what the public opinion is about me, I just typically expect to have a certain amout of respect given to my ideas occasionally. Everyone thinks that if there is something wrong (ie bad work ethic, not too good organizational skills) that it can just be fixed right away. No. Some people have problems with certain skills, and telling them that their idea is "dumb", as some of you put it, or in a roundabout way aying that it's perverted, then telling them that they need to fix whatever their problem is, has to step back and take a look at what they are saying. Maybe the person in question is trying to find a way to organize themselves better, and perhaps having something a little easier to relate to than a paper clip is their idea of helpful. I don't know, maybe I'm just an idiot and every opinion and idea I have is meaningless, but maybe someone could, at some point, show support for one who is obviously not so good at certain things. Okay, so I don't have the best reputation around here, but do the higher-ups in this mini society get shot down with rude comments?

Also, not everyone has the money to go out and just buy something like a palm pilot. Yeah, they're great, but they cost MONEY. I understand that this is what a calendar is often used for, but not everyone carries one of those around, either.

I don't know about anybody else, but I see more than a few people saying it was a good idea, or providing constructive criticism.



re: the underlined parts.

If you can't take criticism, don't put your ideas out there. Not everybody is giong to 100% agree with your idea all the time. If you want people to respect your ideas, you have to respect their input and comments, as well. The first rude and disrespectful posts I see in this thread came from you.

Well c'mon people you're all being a little harsh here... coming out and saying right out that his idea is "dumb". No one likes their ideas to be called dumb, I don't care who you are you wouldn't like that! Is the off-season making you people cranky or what?? :rolleyes: Or maybe you just don't like the anime/manga Chobits...

Anyways, I personally wouldn't use this thing because my computer would probably explode if I tried to load something else onto it. It is a neat idea though along there with Bonzai Buddy.

/me waves.

Are you trying to embarrass me?

I don't respect ideas, I respect people. I like or dislike ideas on certain grounds.

I'm glad you say you don't care what other people think. Really. I just don't believe you.

You want respect yet you refuse to show any yourself, that dig at M was uncalled for, you could very well have made your statement without it. Also, if you can have an opinion why can't we? I thought that was what these forums were for, the discussion of ideas and opinions . It's only respectful to allow others to have theirs even if they don't agree with yours. It's called free speech.

Oh yeah?
 

So, I was the first to be rude?

...or maybe this?

...or possibly this one?

I wouldn't call that constructive criticizm.

Re: Oh yeah?
 

I never committed myself to only posting "constructive criticism". I'm not a fan of the old adage "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

That's my opinion, and I don't see it changing any time soon.

*cough* I feel this thread will be closed soon *cough*

Too much flamming for me...:(

I agree, it's jumped way off topic and is on the verge of dissolving in to a flame war, Brandon I say jsut close it, If anybody wants to converse about this any longer my PM inbox is open as I'm sure everyone else's is.

Posting from my cousins! Seeya...

Re: Oh yeah?
 

Yes.

They were stating their opinions. They probably thought it was dumb for them to use, because they didn't like the existing similar things (microsoft, chobits, bonzai, etc) in the first place. The word 'dumb' may have been a bit extreme, but at least they weren't saying "I don't like you, don't post in this thread.", which is essentially what you did.

Re: Oh yeah?
 

Again, I'm sorry.

Would you care to provide an example of how I may have expressed that opinion in a better way?

Or, is "rude" being confused with "counter?" I think it may be.

Really, people. When I'm rude, you'll know it, and I promise that you won't have to go scratching and clawing and fighting your way to the surface to point it out.

I'm not subtle.

i'm so happy someone reads chobits too! it's a great series. clamp is a really great manga artist(s) i don't know how to say that. anyways... i'm sure it'll happen one day. i mean, all they are are robots that are, as it seems, really programmed. i'm sure someone could do it now. well, maybe not. i just don't like the idea of the girls always being the robots. like the guy's little toy. i'm not a feminist or anything, but that's a little annoying. wait, i think yumi had a guy persocom... am i wrong? i'm confused... i'll have to check.

Well, if this thread is to be closed soon, I might as well chip in my two cents about this... er... flaming stuff.

Although I think the words of other members could have been chosen more... tactfully, I think that your reaction, is a bit out of line. A tougher skin is required for one to post ideas that you obviously seem to care about very much. Kind of silly, when you get right down to it. Internet fighting, I mean. It's all just words. Let 'em roll off your back and you'll be fine. Just don't make yourself look worse by trying to verbally "kick some $@#$@#$@#", man. It just looks pathetic (no matter who is saying it).

But then again, my advice doesn't really matter, does it?

--taken from The Devils dictionary

back on target, please!


anyway, i once heard of this assistant program thing that analyzed your behaviors, etc, and, when prompted with calendar events or other stimuli, would try and predict your most probable course of action. if your mom's birthday showed up on the calendar, it would have some flowers on reserve. if someone else wants to reschedule a golf game to another day and you happen to be free, then it does it for you, etc.

i can see that happening in a couple years. everyone having a "digital copy" of themselves on the internet, and these digital copies will coordinate with eachother, planning our schedules for us so that nothing conflicts, alerting us if anything changes.

and once we get wireless broadband, all you would need to access this digital persona of yours would be a cell phone. enter an appointment, it goes to the digital assistant. if someone else decides to reschedule and you're free, it notifies you via SMS of the change. alarms go off on your phone before the event, depending on how long it thinks it'll take you to get there from wherever you are (these ubermodern phones have gps too ;))

i dunno, it sounds like a good idea =D

Would the überassistantprogram know taht I don't like leaving the computer, even if my schedule is open 24 hours a day? Would it schedule golf (so much work) or a bike riide (a lot more work) or something even if I would have rather not gone? Meh, it'd be cool to see work, but I'd still rather schedule my own stuff and just have somethign remind me, rather than just having the reminder and suddenly realizing that my cell phone arranged a root canal with my dentist that I had been avoiding.....

haha, thats funny, cause i just had a root canal. it's not as bad as you think.









as long as the xylocaine works. :ahh: ;)


haha, well, you'd tell it that you were busy. and it wouldn't schedule anything for you untily ou told it you were free.