Remember the days of AIM when there were “SmartBots” that you could IM and they would supposedly answer your questions? I have no idea if they’re still around today, but in middle school we got such a kick out of getting “SmarterChild” to say dirty things. Smart or not, they were still mindless robots, and repetition and poor grammar was the name of the game.
I get flashbacks to this time whenever I have to talk to anyone from Comcast online. I’m pretty sure I’ve never talked to a functioning human being on the other end of their LiveChat. Not that their in-person or over-the-phone customer service is much better, but at least I get an actual response if I yell at them. The androids on the chat service give illogical responses to my angst, and sarcasm is clearly above and beyond their capabilities. I really should keep a record of these conversations. I think I’d be able to compile a pretty entertaining book out of it. Until I switch to Verizon, that is, where hopefully their reps are not brain-dead. Though I feel like even talking to SmarterChild at this point would get me more of a response.