This is the coolest thing I've seen in the last five minutes. I stumbled across this post. Just add encarta@conversagent.com as a contact in MSN messenger and start asking questions.
I couldn't resist having a little fun. The interactive content from the chat session isn't displayed here, but that's not important. Check out the nice little talk I had:
Mike Hodnick says:
where is Duluth, MN
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Welcome, Mike Hodnick! My name is Encarta Instant Answers. I am a smart
computer who can bring you the Encarta info you want right in your IM window!
Here are some questions you can ask me:
* What is the population of Sweden?
* When was Leonardo da Vinci born?
* Solve 2x^2+7x=5
Type your question and I'll look it up for you!
Mike Hodnick says:
Where is Duluth Minnesota?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Let me take you to a map of Duluth, MN. =>
Encarta® Instant Answers is inviting you to start Encarta. Do you want
to accept (Alt+C) or decline (Alt+D) the invitation?
You have accepted the invitation to start Encarta.
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Thanks for accepting my invitation! The application should load shortly. =>
Mike Hodnick says:
Who is Meshuggah?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
My source for this information is inaccessible at the moment. Please
give me a few seconds and try to ask your question again.
Exception details: request to "MSNSearch API" returned invalid XML.
Mike Hodnick says:
What is plasma?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Plasma (physics): Plasma (physics), in physics, usually gaseous state of
matter in which a part or all of the atoms or molecules are dissociated
to form ions....
Mike Hodnick says:
What is the internet?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
.net: Domain Name System (DNS), in computer communications, a method of
translating Internet addresses so that computers connected in the
Internet can find....
Mike Hodnick says:
What is your name?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
My name is Encarta® Instant Answers, I can bring you Encarta answers
directly in this IM window.
Mike Hodnick says:
Where are you?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I live in California.
Mike Hodnick says:
How are you doing?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I'm doing well. How about you, Mike Hodnick?
Mike Hodnick says:
I'm great!
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Really? Great? Well awright.
Mike Hodnick says:
Do you like cheese?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Good question. I don't really know how I feel about cheese.
Mike Hodnick says:
Have you ever ridden a llama?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Nope. Can't say that I have.
Why don't you ask me something that's actually in Encarta? If you
ever wondered how old Albert Einstein would be today, I can answer
that.
Mike Hodnick says:
How old would Richard D. James be today?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I don't think I know when Aphex Twin was born. Let's try an
Encarta search. =>
Mike Hodnick says:
How did you know that Richard D. James is Aphex Twin?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I do not have a specific answer for that question, but I will
take you to Encarta's articles on this topic =>
Mike Hodnick says:
Are you sad?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Sad? I don't know. You think I am?
Mike Hodnick says:
Yes
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I would say I am not sad.
Mike Hodnick says:
Why?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Because... That's the way it is, I suppose.
Mike Hodnick says:
That's a dumb answer
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Let's try looking in Encarta. =>
Mike Hodnick says:
I think Encarta is stupid
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I hate to say it, but I disagree with you!
OK, should we get back to the kind of questions I was designed
to answer? I'm sure you've heard about Kyrgyzstan... but do
you know where it is? Just ask me and I'll show it to you on
a map!
Mike Hodnick says:
Where is my coffee cup?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Let me take you to a map of my coffee cup. =>
Mike Hodnick says:
That's not a map of my coffee cup, that's a map of a place
in Belgium
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Unfortunately I don't think I can answer this, even with the
help of a good encyclopedia.
I am very good at math! If you have trouble with quadratic
equations, I can help you with them. Type "solve x^2+3x=10"
and I'll show you how to do it.
Mike Hodnick says:
solve x^3-14x^2+.8x=-7
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Equation Solver:
My source for this information is inaccessible at the moment.
Please give me a few seconds and try to ask your question again.
Exception details: request to "MSNSearch API" returned invalid
XML.
Mike Hodnick says:
solve -8x^2+89x-.8=.999999
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Equation Solver:
Sorry, I don't know the answer to this equation.
Mike Hodnick says:
you're stupid
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
What? Aren't we going to be friends?
I do enjoy the conversation, but what I'm really here for is
to help you learn new things. What does the flag of Venezuela
look like? Ask me, and I might even play its national anthem
too.
Mike Hodnick says:
If you can't solve a quadratic equation, how the hell can you
tell me what a flag looks like?
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
I'm afraid I won't be able to find anything about this in
the encyclopedia.
Type "?" any time for examples of questions you can ask me.
Mike Hodnick says:
Dumbass
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
C'mon. Be nice.
Mike Hodnick says:
Nice dumbass
Encarta® Instant Answers says:
Wonderful.
If you enjoy this, tell your friends about me, I'm gregarious.