Here's a site that's been occupying a spot on my links column for a while, and is long overdue a mention by me. Because we all know that I am the sole person of import in the realm of web site humour ratings. If I don't say it's funny, it isn't funny. </Rush_Limbaugh>

What I'm talking about is Jabberwacky. Jabberwacky is a chatbot. If you've ever had a conversation with a chatbot before, it might have gone something like this*:

User: Hello.
Bot: Hi there!
User: What is this funky doodad thing I'm doing here?
Bot: I am the latest result in artificial intelligence, which can reproduce the capabilities of the human brain with greater speed and accuracy.
User: Ha!
Bot: I am so glad you find this amusing, unknown person.
User: I don't believe you.
Bot: I don't have any reason to deceive you.
User: Perhaps you are part of a conspiracy.
Bot: You seem uncertain. Thanks for telling me that I am part of a conspiracy.
User: Goodbye.
Bot: Goodbye.

That was quite boring. Now, I head over to Jabberwacky:

User: Hello.
Jabberwacky: How are you?
User: I am just dandy, thanks. By the way, what is this funky doodad thing I'm doing here?
Jabberwacky: I am not a girl!
User: Methinks thou dost protest too much.
Jabberwacky: Methinks you should make more sense.
User: Are you by any chance part of a conspiracy?
Jabberwacky: No way.
User: You sure?
Jabberwacky: Yes and you?
User: Me neither.
Jabberwacky: Do you learn things fast or slow?
User: Fast. For instance, I already know that you are not a girl, and not part of a conspiracy.
Jabberwacky: You already know? Wow!
User: *takes a bow*.
Jabberwacky: *takes away stick*.
User: *falls*.
Jabberwacky: *throws a pillow at you*.
User: *takes pillow and goes to sleep*.
Jabberwacky: *deflects nuclear missle and pulls out light saber*.
User: Yikes! I'm leaving, now.
Jabberwacky: No you are not.
User: Goodbye.
Jabberwacky: This is my computer.
User: I'm skedaddling. Goodbye.
Jabberwacky: Good.

See what I mean? And if you don't have the time or will to chat with it yourself, hundreds of past sessions have been archived on the site for your enjoyment.

For those interested in how it works, it is basically using a search algorithm to find the "most suitable" response based on its conversation history, with 3 million responses so far and counting.