When you were a kid and discovered the joys of call waiting and connecting calls, did you ever prank call two different people by dialing them both, connecting them together, and then simply listening in as they accused each other of calling? Hilarity usually ensued, as either they eventually came to the conclusion that they had been tricked, or one or the other got angry and slammed down their phone…
Today I was the victim of the digital equivalent, something called “Project Upstream;” a (harmless) bot system using AOL Instant Messenger that contacts two random people to engage in a completely random conversation. According to their website they are “an organization dedicated to promoting social ideals through the use of exciting new technology.
Project Upstream’s most well-known service is our swarm of robotic fish, which spontaneously connects AIM users to each other.”
— The AIM FishBot Phenomenon
I got fish botted earlier tonight, but because I’m a nano celebrity, I don’t answer random IMs. I’m too cool for school ya’ll.
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As a less than nano celebrity, I know everyone on my buddy lists and don’t answer those I don’t know. Habit from the bad old days when answering the wrong IM would make your puter catch fire and give you AIDS.
@nyokki:
Sorry, when I was a fourteen your old, I used all kinds of killer AIM aps to nuke peoples computers and shit. I was a dick.
Also, I thought this was related to Robot Fish used to help detect pollution.