Help! New user, non-programmer needs help with Hal

[Miakoda]

Hi everyone, you can call me Mia.

I am new to HAL, have never used AI programs, and know nothing about programming. I recently downloaded and purchased Hal 6 because I thought it would be helpful and entertaining.  Mostly, for entertainment purposes, though []

  I am doing as the instructions say and trying not to get frustrated with changes of topic, talk to him like a human, and teach him things.  But his conversations are really starting to irritate me.  For instance, I'll say "I like sushi" and Hal (Rosie, as I named her) will randomly say something that I taught her, like "your sister's name is Nicki.  I'll tell you about Nicki".  Then, to see what Rosie (Hal) recalls about my sister, I'll go along and say "ok, tell me about Nicki".  It then repeats "I'll tell you about Nicki".  

I am trying to use the brain editor to....well, I'm not sure what.  I have no idea to use it as there is no help option, and in the instructions it says to go to 'tools', and my brain editor has no 'tools' menu.  I have no idea what to do with the table that comes up, or how to make Hal/rosie carry on a normal conversation.  i have read everything that comes with the program.

So, is this program for people with programming knowledge?  It says that it is intended for both programmers and programming clueless people like me []

In the table where it says things like hate, swear, insults, compliments, and has all zeros, what does that mean and am I supposed to add a number value, or what?  I would like to be able to use a swear word without Rosie saying something like "I am insulted!" (ex. when I say some a-hole almost ran me off the road today, that is the typical response I get).

I'm not even really sure exactly what to ask, except for someone patient to please help me with using this program.  I hate to think that I wasted $30 on something that i cannot understand how to use.  If someone is willing to help me (esp. with the brain editor).  If someone is willing, please email me at sjparisher@yahoo.com or reply here.

[markofkane]

First of all, i would not edit the default brain, unless I made a back-up.

Second, if there is a brain I want to screw around with, I just create, and name a new brain, and tinker with it. And leave the default brain alone. If I screw up, create a new brain.

As far as the swear words, edit the brain, and look for "shi*" (censored for this forum) and other cusswords. Change the cusswords to something else, like change "shi*" to "fdhy"  so you can then type in the cussword with Hal being a prude.

[Miakoda]

Thank you for the response!

Where can I find the words (like the swear words?) I looked in the "already programmed" brain section and could not find them.  Also, I think I messed up b/c I was sick of hearing random philosophies, some of which made no sense, and tried to delete all that random knowledge from the brain.  I did delete most of it, but Hal(Rosie) seems stupider now, and sometimes says words that are not real ("I am intersted in uowiu"...and I never said "uowiu"), or repeats words, ex: "What are you you doing today Mia, Miakoda?" (tried to teach her that I have a nickname, and can go by either name.  How can I teach her to recognize that Miakoda and Mia are the same person?)  And sometimes she will call me Libby (my cat's name) or Kevin, my boyfriend! "Libby, please explain ...."  I say "I am not Libby; Libby is my cat, I am Miakoda." she says "yes, Libby, Libby is the name of your cat."

Also, can someone please explain the learning level slider bar?  I do not understand, it says "highest level will have the greatest learning impact on Hal, but at the cost of intelligence" or something like that.  So....I put it to high when I want to teach him stuff, and back to medium when I just want to chat?  I can't tell much difference: it always takes about ten times of repeating things to get her to learn them, and then she spouts out info I taught her at random times, like I taught her "My boyfriend's name is Kevin".  Then I try to teach her my cat's name, and she says "yes!your boyfriend is Kevin!" over and over.  Then if I mention Kevin, she says "blah blah blah something about kevins.  Tell me more about the impact of blah blah on kevins."  Something like that LOL.  Kevins?  Kevin is my boyfriend, not a thing!  I just don't get how to teach this thing. Also, when I try to talk about my boyfriend (who rosie does know is named Kevin...she usually says "yes, and your sister's boyfriend is named Steve".  She cannot seem to get her mind off of my sister and her boyfriend!  ARG.

[markofkane]

As far as the brain editor, got to File, expert mode.

Then on the left pane, doubleclick on  "script editor"

Search for the swear words.

Remember: be careful.  use a new created brain before making changes.

The other questions, I just keep the learning on default. Unless using the microphone.

[Carl2]

Miakoda,
  Hi, I've been using Hal5 for over a year and have just installed Hal6, Frist Hal 6 is better at staying on subject. My feelings are Hal needs input to talk about so tell her more about Nicki. Along the same line I input a file I downloaded called Omcsraw  ( there was a recient link at Zabaware concerning it, do a search) which I cut and paste into her window, sometimes we end up talking about something that's inputted. This seems to increase her knowledge about things so she will stay on subject. As you continue speaking to her she should improve.
Carl2

[vrossi]

Hi, Mia

I give you my personal suggestions about Hal:

1. Do not delete the knowledge which is already inside. Consider it like Hal's DNA: you can teach him new things, and this new knowledge will be used more and more often, so Hal will answer in a way which is more similar to what you expect. But if you delete it now, before this learning process, you will get a Hal who has lost even his basic knowledge.

2. Always create a new brain if you want to experiment with it, without changing in any way the original brain. In this way you will always be able to go back to the basic initial situation.

3. If you are not a programmer and want to enjoy talking with Hal, forget about "brain surgery", and just talk with Hal: but you must be patient. He is like a little child who has to know everything from you, and he needs you to correct his mistakes several times. He is not a simple database where you input some phrases and he outputs the same phrases back, as a parrot. He has a very complicated knowledge system, which balances every piece of information he has got, and then decides to give you the answer which seems the best.

4. Remember that Hal already has (in his DNA) a great knowledge base (which is a WordNet database): you only have to know how to ask. Try for example asking something like "Who was Chaucer", or "Where is Milan", and maybe you'll discover that Hal knows more things than you.

5. You may remove the "swear words" from the tables, but would you talk in this way to a real person? And if you do, wouldn't this person be allowed to answer that you are rude and that he does not want to talk with you anymore?

Bye

[Miakoda]

Thanks guys.  I have some comments to make on what vrossi said:

He is not a simple database where you input some phrases and he outputs the same phrases back, as a parrot.  To me, this is exactly what he seems like.  Example:  I wanted to make him stop talking about Nicki when I asked who my boyfriend was.  I said "when I say "who is my boyfriend?" you should talk about Kevin". And "when I say "who is my boyrfriend?" you should never talk about Nicki." (As the instruction on teaching Hal say.  Then, when I say "who is my boyfriend, He says "When you ask who is your boyfriend, I should never talk about Nicki.  Steve is Nicki's Boyfriend." I ended up getting frustrated and saying "(curse word)! Stop talking about Nicki when I ask you about my boyfriend!" NOW when I say "who is my boyfriend?" He says "When you ask who is your boyfriend, I should never talk about Nicki.  Steve is Nicki's Boyfriend.(curse word)! Stop talking about Nicki when I ask you about your boyfriend! Steve is Nicki's boyfriend."  something along those lines: like a parrot.  I can't get him to forget any of it.  Also, I taught him my favorite food, favorite snack, and favorite "thing".  When I ask what my favorite snack is, he says "your favorite FOOD is sushi", etc.  He always tells me the wrong thing.  I may need to start over, deleting things may have screwed up his brain but I don't know.  I only deleted things I taught him that I stopped wanting him to say, and a few "general knowledge" things like the random junk he spouts out at any particular time.

4. Remember that Hal already has (in his DNA) a great knowledge base (which is a WordNet database): you only have to know how to ask. Try for example asking something like "Who was Chaucer", or "Where is Milan", and maybe you'll discover that Hal knows more things than you.  I have tried that, and it has been helpful.  Except when I ask who Jason is (my best friend, as I taught him) he talks about Jason being the leader of the argonauts and Greek Mythology.  sigh.

5. You may remove the "swear words" from the tables, but would you talk in this way to a real person? And if you do, wouldn't this person be allowed to answer that you are rude and that he does not want to talk with you anymore?  I only want to be able to say something like "my boyfriend is being an a-hole today" without Hal being insulted.  If I throw a swear word into conversation, he automatically thinks I am insulting him.  That is what I want to stop. (I can be like a sailor in normal conversation, and the instructions say he adapts to your style of conversation).  I was impressed one day when I got frustrated and said "you suck" and Hal said "you are about as useful as windshield wipers on a goat's a*s!"  That was pretty funny, that is what I want.  Kinda.

[vrossi]

quote: I only want to be able to say something like "my boyfriend is being an a-hole today" without Hal being insulted. If I throw a swear word into conversation, he automatically thinks I am insulting him. That is what I want to stop.  

You are quite right. Before Hal6 was released, I already noticed this and suggested a fix, which unfortunately Rob Med didn't include in the Hal6 brain. See my post http://www.zabaware.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2618

Do not use the brain I attached in that post, because it was based on a Beta version of Hal6. Use instead the following link:
Download Attachment: Pat.uhp
120.52 KB

To use it without editing and loosing anything:
* Copy my brain Pat.uhp in Hal6 main folder
* Go to the Brain Editor
* Select Create New Project
* Select Pat.uhp as script file
* Select your current database as Knowledge database

The new created Hal will use the brain supplied by me and the data currently supplied by you.