Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Not at all first related, but a project by a FIRSTer, and something I thought might appeal to CD'ers. It's a little AIM bot I wrote that randomly pairs people up and lets you have an anonymous conversation.

How do you use it? Add RandomProxy to your buddy list. If the bot is not away (if it is, it's at capacity) send it a message and it will pair you with the next person who does so. Conversations are limited to 20 minutes, or a 5 minutes of inactivity, to give everyone a chance to use the service. You will be given a warning at the two minute mark (so if you want to you can exchange screeennames, otherwise you'll probably never hear from that person again...).

There are no guidelines for usage, and no garuntees.

This is floating around the net, so use common sense. Because there are a lot of weird people on CD... :-)

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Though I appreciate what you're working towards here, let me just put out a word of caution beyond what you've provided.

There are many people out there that you should not accept files from, people who shouldn't know who you are and where you live.

You will tell me you are responsible adults and would never do such a thing as giving out your personal information.

I will ask you in response why so many young men and women every year face so much trouble because they give out too much personal information.

Bottom line: be smart. Your safety may very well be on the line.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

That's pretty cool, I'm trying it now :D


As far as caution go: just use the same sense you'd use when on IRC.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Noone wants to talk to me :(
Could you start the 5 minute count after someone has messaged you? I waited 5 minutes and didn't get a participant so it kicked me.

(soz for double post)

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

I tried it, then like 2 min later I told Adam Richards to try it.

We landed up talking to each other.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

You are smart ;) not everybody else is. My warning is to those who have less experience and are more likely to make a big mistake.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Interesting. This sounds like the internet version of Amateur Radio.

If you have a ham radio license you would get on the air, pumping out 100 to 1000W, calling "CQ CQ CQ" (which is short hand for 'anybody out there?")

and you would get random replies from people all around the world

another similarity, radio waves skip across the atmosphere and propagate depending on weather conditions, the time of day, the amount of sunlight... for any given frequency. So the average amount of time you might be able to talk to someone thousands of miles away was about 20 minutes.

very cool! Now I have to try this.

of course, only people that you tell about RandomProxy will know about RandomProxy, so it could take quite a while for this to become a truely global random function. I suspect there is a high probability most IM contacts will be CD'ers?

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

I just tried this. I got someone from metafilter, whatever that is. Then they stopped talking to me. Potentially pretty fun, I'll tell my friends about it. The 4 that I have on my buddylist.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Sooooo... this is like having an imaginary random friend on your buddy list?

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

I'm not getting anything on trillian. Maybe nobody likes us :(

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Worked on Gaim on Xubuntu (linux), I had a 20 min conversation with someone about Starcraft, mmorpgs, oblivion, and other assorted nerdy topics.

And for the past 8 tries I got connected to the same person... who I was also talking to in another IM window... heh...

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

I've still yet to be able to talk to another person :(

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Make that about 10 times. Every five minutes I think I am going to get to talk to a new person, but alas it is to no avail, and I end up talking to Morgan [Mercury Rising].

Now I just tried again, and I end up talking to Alexa [AtalanteStar25], who I was also talking to in another IM window, at the same time that I was telling her about repeatedly getting paired up with Morgan...

Oh the irony...

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

LMAO... I tried to talk to myself but it didn't work.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

I have got the same people over and over again, Kristian, Alexa and a crazy guy from MetaFilter. Yet Alexa got Michelle, and Kristian got a few other FRC people. Sigh...

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Ive gotton 2 frist people and 2 non first people...kinda fun...this is really a great idea

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Is the bot not live anymore? I added it/her/him to my buddy list on AIM and it says its not on!

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

What language is it programmed in?
If it's Perl, then I have a small (Well, maybe not so small...) problem with my AIM bot.

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

You wrote an AIM bot aswell? Thats pretty cool!

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Oh, it looks like I just fixed both of the problems I was having by eliminating regexes from a certain part of the code.
If anybody wants to talk to my bot, its AIM screenname is goatsgomooBOT.

"help" is the only command you'll need. :)

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

So i should not give out my social security number? This really friendly guy said he could help me if I gave it to him? He also wanted a credit card number, I asked him why and he said it was all part of the plan. You mean I should not have done that? Also, he wanted my birth date, I think it was to make sure I was old enough for the program he said he was going to enrol me in. Do you guys have any clue what program this is? I have not heard back from him yet, and it has been a few days now? Do you know where I can contact him?

He was nice and all, said please, and thank you, not like those dumb crooks from Russia which just have these fake websites. I would never give my information to a fake website that was tagged as bad by the SubSevenAdWAreAlert IE toolbar!







This is a joke. Seriously, I don't give random strangers my SS, which is 102-23-1201.






Just in case you don't speak number l33t, that says losser01! :P

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Has randomproxy been down for the last week or so or is it just me...now i find i have nothing to do at night

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

Indeed, it has. Has it been CD'd?

Re: Bored? Have a random IM conversation...
 

RandomProxy is back. :D