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Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 11:54

Title: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 11:54
http://us.akinator.com/#

Click the above link and then click play, and then think of a public figure, either fictional or non-fictional, super-famous or obscure (obscure is better), from any field.

It's like 20 questions, but it is super super super good at it.

For instance: Guessed correctly Lemmy, Trajan (Roman emperor), David Foster Wallace, Henrik Lundqvist, Eddie (Iron Maiden mascot), Genesis P-Orridge and T. Rex from Dinosaur Comics. Stumped him with Marcus Furius Camillus. All of the correct guesses took about the standard 20 questions.

Try to stump it!
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: allison on 02 Jan 2011, 11:57
Stumped it immediately with Stan Rogers.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Blue Kitty on 02 Jan 2011, 11:59
I beat it once, don't remember with what though

It got me on GLaDOS, I was a little freaked out when it asked if the person was in a Valve game.

OH GOD THIS THING IS FREAKING ME OUT
It got David Grohl and I'm pretty sure it's gonna guess Ezio


Beat him with Ron Perlman
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 12:05
i was thinking of ian mackaye and i got tim mcilrath

:psyduck:
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 12:06
i guess that means i win though dovey do you give me a prize now or something?
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 12:07
Yeah, it's kinda interesting when you can actually see it close down on the correct answer. Like I thought it was gonna either take forever to get Trajan or just miss completely but then it sprung "Is he Spanish" (yes) and "Is he known for having a beard" (no, but the other prominent Spanish emperor of the period was) in a row and I knew I was done.

Of course and then sometimes it just manages to guess correctly from seemingly nowhere with no specific signifying questions asked at all.

EDIT: Sean that's weird because a couple of people on the forum I got this from said it got Ian Mackaye really easily. Maybe you're just not good enough at knowing things about Ian Mackaye? You win the prize of my eternal derision.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 12:08
And being fired from punx
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 12:12
Yeah I managed to get it to Ian Mackaye even quicker than most of the time. I think you just suck dogg.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 12:14
man dovey hush i know lots of things about ian mackaye maybe i just know too much.

okay that is probably not true man if im getting fired from punx this means i have to become a super hipser now oh god
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Dazed on 02 Jan 2011, 12:21
It got Jimmy Page pretty easily, stumped it at first with Neil Gaiman's Dream, but then played on and it got it after like 7 more questions.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 12:22
fuck me it got Eduard Khil in like 15 questions goddamn this thing
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Tom on 02 Jan 2011, 12:25
Pff. Psylocke is easy, what's weird is that it took longer to figure out Norah Winters (2nd guess) from ASM (newish + obscure supporting character) than it did Pixie (New Mutants/New X-Men/now regular Uncanny X-person).

Stumping it on Morrison era Batman; failed to get Jezebel Jet etc.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Tom on 02 Jan 2011, 12:27
Yeah I managed to get it to Ian Mackaye even quicker than most of the time. I think you just suck dogg.

It's more than probable that more people had just stumped it/done it on Ian MacKaye. Witness the birth of SkyNet!
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 12:30
Man I think "Morrison era Batman" is a bit too specific.

Stumped it on Jon Wurster.

Managed to get Bob Loblaw (Lobs Law Bomb) after one wrong guess.

OK that is ridiculous he managed to get Jek Porkins (extremely minor Star Wars character) in like just over ten guesses, first try.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: onewheelwizzard on 02 Jan 2011, 12:44
It took almost 30 questions to get Alan Watts, its first guess after 20 was Thomas Hardy.

It took a few less to guess Hari Seldon, its first guess was Valentine Michael Smith.

It guessed Bassnectar only after guessing Steve Aoki.

Then it figured out Hiro Protagonist, Urza, Herr Starr from Preacher pretty quickly.

I finally stumped it with John Perkins (author of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman").
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Dazed on 02 Jan 2011, 12:47
I've stumped this thing once in like 15 tries, with Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. This thing is insaaaane and kind of addictive.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Drill King on 02 Jan 2011, 12:57
I stumped it on Ganondorf but to be fair it's first guess was Link.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 02 Jan 2011, 12:59
I stumped it repeatedly with Tim Roth but, in hindsight, I don't know shit about Tim Roth so I probably shouldn't be too proud of myself.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Blue Kitty on 02 Jan 2011, 12:59
After 2 tries, with Ickis from Real Monsters and Alpha from Power Rangers, he finally got Benson from Regular Show

I was getting a little scared at the end when he was talking about having red hair and being part of a team, but then he guessed Guy Gardner instead of Niles Caulder.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: JimmyJazz on 02 Jan 2011, 13:01
Wow is this thing freaky. It got Anton Newcombe in 20 questions but it took 43 to come up with Mark E. Smith.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Drill King on 02 Jan 2011, 13:09
I stumped it with Frida Hyvönen.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 13:15
Guessed Mr. Plinkett (he of the hour-long Star Wars prequel movie reviews) correct in less than 10
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Coward on 02 Jan 2011, 13:25
He got Judge Dredd, Marcus Cole of B5, but not Lt. Castillo of Miami Vice

Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 13:33
Holy shit, got Sir Not-Appearing-In-This-Film on the first try.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: JD on 02 Jan 2011, 13:37
Got him with Moondog
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: SWOON! at My Gravitas on 02 Jan 2011, 13:39
It got Dead, Euronymous, Michael Gira, and Richard D. James.  Stumped it with John Balance, though to be fair I probably answered some of the questions wrong
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: IronOxide on 02 Jan 2011, 13:40
It got Spider Jerusalem, Roy from The IT crowd, Ichii from Ichii the Killer, Baba Yaga, and countless others, but failed on Greg Ginn (Black Flag).

I'm pretty impressed.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 13:41
dude got jeph on the first try.

this thing is insane.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: sean on 02 Jan 2011, 13:46
for whatever reason though it has no idea who tommy is
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 13:52
It even guessed my penis correctly
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: SWOON! at My Gravitas on 02 Jan 2011, 14:12
Well shit it got Arthur Von Nagel
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Slick on 02 Jan 2011, 14:15
It finally got Stan Rogers after 40 goes, but after 30 he went for Gordon Lightfoot.

Also, totally stoked that it got
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/jgcrawfo/Picture1.png)
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 02 Jan 2011, 14:38
Well shit it got Arthur Von Nagel

dang
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: pwhodges on 02 Jan 2011, 14:54
Got Bela Bartok in 30; didn't get Michael Finnissy (living composer).
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Jan 2011, 15:19
Couldn't get Anton Webern even after 40 questions.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jodizzle on 02 Jan 2011, 15:41
hahah I had SIouxsie Sioux and he guessed Cheryl Cole after 20 questions :/
I kept playing though and he got her in the next 10!
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: pwhodges on 02 Jan 2011, 15:43
It didn't get Marianne Faithfull, even though she was already in their list.  I think it goes off on the wrong track if you tell it that you know or are related to someone; it also often wastes time by asking the same question several times.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: negative creep on 02 Jan 2011, 16:15
I tried a few Scary go Round characters, but it didn't get any.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Joseph on 02 Jan 2011, 16:41
I played with this a couple months ago I think? The only figures I really was caring about were literary ones, and I think the only one it managed to get was Nabokov. Admittedly, many of them were fairly obscure poets.

EDIT: I mean, not even really obscure poets though. Charles Olson, Guy Davenport, Denis Levertov, etc.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: scarred on 02 Jan 2011, 16:43
stumped on Mr. Rogers.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Inlander on 02 Jan 2011, 16:47
This thing gets a bit screwy when it's stumped. It homed in really quickly on the fact that my person was a musician, but after a few "No" answers suddenly it started asking questions like "Is your character a running back?" and "Does your character deal with chemistry?" Then after asking if my character was old (he's dead, so I answered "Probably/partially") it guessed Miles Davis (having established early on that we were talking about a jazz musician, surprise suprise), which was incorrect. After a few more questions it guessed John Coltrane, also incorrect. It also asked, as question 34, "Does your character have white skin?", having established very early on that ther person was black. Finally, after guessing Dizzy Gillespie (again incorrect) and asking about 40 questions it conceded defeat. I happily introduced my new "character" to it.

The person I was thinking of was Herschel Evans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Evans), who to be fair is pretty obscure, though anyone keen on 30s big-band swing will probably have heard of him.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: squawk on 02 Jan 2011, 17:42
It guessed Ginobili which made me happy because he was just so smiley

but I tried to get it to guess Charlie from Sunny and it came up with Mac.

It's fun to see it figuring out who you're thinking of as the questions get progressively more specific though, like, "does your character drink a lot"
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: squawk on 02 Jan 2011, 17:48
Okay now I stumped it with "the janitor from Austin Powers who laughs at Austin"
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: est on 02 Jan 2011, 18:44
I am laughing so hard right now because it's taken only 7 questions for him to ask "is your character from the Fallout series" when I was thinking of the protagonist from Fallout 3.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: est on 02 Jan 2011, 18:46
He guesses: "The Vault Dweller (Fallout)"
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: est on 02 Jan 2011, 18:47
Haha Q 13: "does your character smoke?"  (I am thinking of Don Draper)

He got it
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Professor Snuggles on 02 Jan 2011, 20:49
Gave up trying to get Jeff Tweedy, took like 40+ questions to get Marrow from the X-men, couldn't get Nick Cannon's character from the film Drumline.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Professor Snuggles on 02 Jan 2011, 20:58
Couldn't get Ultimate Nick Fury, but got the regular Nick Fury exactly before giving up.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jwhouk on 02 Jan 2011, 21:38
It got Hannelore in 18 questions.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: axerton on 03 Jan 2011, 04:11
I thought I had it stumped with Arnold J Rimmer (from the tv show red dwarf) but then it asked if my character had already died. I knew the game was up then.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: The Seldom Killer on 03 Jan 2011, 04:24
Stumped it in the first attempt with James Nachtwey (photojournalist) and the second with the Janitor from scrubs.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: nufan on 03 Jan 2011, 04:26
Fooled it with The Unknown Soldier, though this may be asking slightly too much of it.

Guessed Daniel Kitson after 30 which is pretty impressive.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Inlander on 03 Jan 2011, 04:29
Defeated it again with Muriel Spark, who really isn't at all obscure.

I kind of enjoy "introducing" it to new people, though.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: The Seldom Killer on 03 Jan 2011, 04:37
Wasn't expecting it to get Manny Bianco. Although the first guess was Sir Digby Chicken-Ceasar

Also thought I had it on the ropes with Simon Bellamy from misfits. Alas it had him on the third try.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: blanktom on 03 Jan 2011, 04:50
Stumped it with Jennifer Lopez.

EDIT; But then it got Ozymandias/Adrian Veidt.

I think this thing has it's priorities right.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: E. Spaceman on 03 Jan 2011, 04:57
I stumped it with Alex Chilton?

I don't think that is right, i'l try again
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Barmymoo on 03 Jan 2011, 06:20
It didn't get Dora Carrington or Lytton Strachey, but for Carrington it did suggest Virgina Woolf so it was in the right area.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Yakob on 03 Jan 2011, 06:35
Stumped it with Tutankoopa, the boss from Paper Mario.

Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jwhouk on 03 Jan 2011, 07:06
Stumped him with... my boss.

Thing is, I couldn't honestly answer yes to "Is he a governor of his state/province?" because the answer is "not for three more hours he's not."
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Nodaisho on 03 Jan 2011, 08:56
Stumped it with Henry Rollins, because it asked if he was an actor first. He still ended up on the end list. That was the first time I have ever seen it so frustrated that it looked like it was constipated, though.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Johnny C on 03 Jan 2011, 09:44
stumped it with evelyn waugh, buck mulligan, and r.b. bennett. it got leopold bloom, nikki sixx (obviously), and douglas coupland though the last one took him 40 questions
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 03 Jan 2011, 09:56
Probably because it didn't ask at any point "Is the character a fucking hack" or "Is the character famous and respected for completely inexplicable reasons"
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: scarred on 03 Jan 2011, 10:03
it would probably get lady gaga though
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Damnable Fiend on 03 Jan 2011, 10:17
It got Helena Campbell from Mirrormask, even if her name is spelled Cambell on here.

also it got Al Cisneros from OM

and Jack Aubrey

and Neige

and Wata


this thing is pretty cool

edit: I finally stumped it with Solange Gularte of Natural Snow Buildings/Isengrind
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: onewheelwizzard on 03 Jan 2011, 10:32
I'm kind of surprised that it whiffed on Douglas Rushkoff.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: LTK on 03 Jan 2011, 10:37
it would probably get lady gaga though
Funny that you say that now, because it did before. Its first guess was P!nk, though.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Damnable Fiend on 03 Jan 2011, 11:10
It missed Keiji Haino (guessed Damo Suzuki)

it got Rosella from King's Quest, though.

and it didn't have  La sale Famine de Valfunde

it got Minus from the webcomic of the same name.  I'm impressed
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Nodaisho on 03 Jan 2011, 11:23
He missed Darrel "Shifty" Powers, but guessed Ronald Speirs, Buck Compton, and Richard Winters, three people in his company.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: valley_parade on 03 Jan 2011, 11:47
q no 15: Has your character won the Stanley Cup?


.... :cry: Not yet.

edit: weird! It guessed Anje Kopitar, which I suppose fits, but Anje Kopitar is no David Krejci.

And neither is Ales Hemskey. Or Ovechkin. STUMPED.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: StMonkey on 03 Jan 2011, 11:50
Not surprised, but he got Admiral Ackbar in 12 questions.

He also got Minsc correct too, which made my day
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: ZJGent on 03 Jan 2011, 12:05
hmm. I thought it was ingenious at first but then it fooffed on Al Bowlly, Stephen Coates, Tuesday Weld, Lew Stone, and Samantha Mumba consecutively. I mean, come on, you can get Falstaff and Archduke Franz Ferdinand but you can't get Mumba? No dice.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Lines on 03 Jan 2011, 13:21
It guessed Lady Gaga, Hermione Granger, Harley Quinn, Rorschach, Paul McCartney, Ben Gibbard, Brick Tamland, Abu (from Aladdin), and Archimedes (from Sword in the Stone) all in about 20 questions. I will have to think of more obscure people/characters.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Blue Kitty on 03 Jan 2011, 13:26
Those may be the obscure people Linds

Stumped it with Henry Rollins, because it asked if he was an actor first. He still ended up on the end list. That was the first time I have ever seen it so frustrated that it looked like it was constipated, though.

I love it when you stump and he is always making that face, then you answer yes for one question and it's like all the hope comes back to him

I can't believe he got Coraline, he was only asking the vaguest of questions

He isn't all that good with characters from the Doom Patrol, for Elasti Girl he guessed Liz Sherman, The Rumor from Umbrella Academy, and even Helen Parr.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: valley_parade on 03 Jan 2011, 13:28
It guessed Lady Gaga, Hermione Granger, Harley Quinn, Rorschach, Paul McCartney, Ben Gibbard, Brick Tamland, Abu (from Aladdin), and Archimedes (from Sword in the Stone) all in about 20 questions. I will have to think of more obscure people/characters.

As show above, the dude has no clue about mediocre eastern European NHL players.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Zingoleb on 03 Jan 2011, 13:38
I remember this! It had no idea who Christine Jorgenson was.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Barmymoo on 03 Jan 2011, 13:40
I think it says quite a lot about the person who must have programmed it. Perhaps we could make our own game of "guess who the programmer is" from what he/she knows about and where he/she must be from (seems like it's pretty much certain to be the USA somewhere).
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Zingoleb on 03 Jan 2011, 13:42
Well, yeah, but then if it doesn't know a person, then you're expected to add that person to the database. So...
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Damnable Fiend on 03 Jan 2011, 13:43
you learn something about people in general by looking at how many times someone has been guessed, I suppose

also it got Turin Turambar on the first try.  cool.  or, at least, geeky.

and Cimorene from some kids books I used to read.  fuck this thing is addictive.

eventually it got Daniel Waterhouse (Neal Stephenson character)
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: pwhodges on 03 Jan 2011, 14:03
But the sequence of questions and how the answers modify it come from the programmer; and that's where the weaknesses show.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 03 Jan 2011, 14:39
I think it says quite a lot about the person who must have programmed it. Perhaps we could make our own game of "guess who the programmer is" from what he/she knows about and where he/she must be from (seems like it's pretty much certain to be the USA somewhere).

There's versions for other countries, hence the "us" at the start of the URL. A lot of people seem to be tripping it up with very UK-centric celebrity types so maybe try the uk.akinator.com website and see if there's a noticeable difference.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Tom on 03 Jan 2011, 14:44
Also, you can add more questions to the database.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jwhouk on 03 Jan 2011, 16:13
Thirty questions to get David Akers.

EDIT: Stumped him with Mark Hall, though.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Radical AC on 03 Jan 2011, 16:57
Took 30 questions to get Hutch Harris.  Guessed Jamie Stewart at 20.
Got Shadow from American God's on the first try.

Also, some of the oddly specific questions that make it clear it is already thinking of your character are hilarious.  For example question 15 when I used Glenn Beck is does my character often cry.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: LTK on 03 Jan 2011, 17:15
It got Grumpy from Snow White within 20, but wasn't as good with the other dwarfs. I stumped it with Judy the gorilla. When I went to check if he got the Good Samaritan, his ninth question was "Is your character a figure from the Bible?" That's pretty freaky, until then I only told him male, good, dead. Ultimately he didn't get it.

It got the Terminator within 20 as well, that's pretty impressive considering the questions asked.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Lines on 03 Jan 2011, 19:24
As show above, the dude has no clue about mediocre eastern European NHL players.

Dude, I have no clue about any European NHL players.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Lines on 03 Jan 2011, 19:31
AHA! I stumped it! It guessed the Archangel Gabriel instead of the Metatron (Alan Rickman in Dogma). Huzzah!

Also I stumped it again with Paul Blackthorn and it answered the creator of the site, which supposedly is a luchador. Ok then.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Akima on 03 Jan 2011, 21:04
Akinator is pretty good. He guessed:
Sun Yixian (First guess)
Gong Li (First guess)
Zheng He (First guess, despite apparently expecting the wrong answer on his religion).
Zhou Enlai (Second guess after Mao Zedong).
Song Meiling (Third guess after Empress Dowager Cixi and Song Qingling).

Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: bicostp on 03 Jan 2011, 21:16
It took 40 questions to guess Richard Nixon. First guess was Carter, second was Taft. :psyduck:
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: fozmo on 04 Jan 2011, 01:09
It got the Walmart Rollback Smiley in 20. Pretty shocked.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Yakob on 04 Jan 2011, 02:09
The thing got Other Scott from Scott Pilgrim. Granted, its first guess was Wallace Wells
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: KvP on 04 Jan 2011, 02:21
I beat it with Michael Gira, but I may have messed up a question or two since he's apparently in the database.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Tom on 04 Jan 2011, 02:54
Stumped it on the scruffy yet lovable, funny book power couple of  Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jodizzle on 04 Jan 2011, 03:28
Aaron and I have been taking turns with this for about the last hour.  We have stumped him like 3 times.  Well I have.  With Zero GIrl (Sam Kieth comic character - not even in his database), Smashlee Simpson (Drew Barrymore in Whip It) and Marius (Anne Rice vampire).

Aaron;s spirits were broken when it guessed Randall from ugly Americans in 20 and he seemed so far off base.  We couldn't believe it.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: The Seldom Killer on 04 Jan 2011, 03:44
At work where interweb games are apparently a waste of time.

Just wondering how long it takes Akinator to guess Akinator. As for obscure people, I'm guessing that Saeed Jeffery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeed_Jeffery) should stump it.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Jimor on 04 Jan 2011, 04:08
After playing around with some authors I know (adding a couple to the database), I did some local musicians, and one was already in there. Finally, I did my own main character from my novel and the answer after 20 questions was: "Your own character (Your Original Character)". I laughed.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 04 Jan 2011, 08:31
At work where interweb games are apparently a waste of time.

Just wondering how long it takes Akinator to guess Akinator. As for obscure people, I'm guessing that Saeed Jeffery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saeed_Jeffery) should stump it.

Akinator's definitely in the database at last, I've seen it come up a few times in the recent games that shows up on the home page.

E: 12 questions for me

E2: Same amount of questions for the Genie from Aladdin (Despite expecting a "no" for "was he in a TV series" (He was (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_%28TV_series%29)))
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: maxusy3k on 04 Jan 2011, 10:47
Managed to stump him for the first time with Sgt. Major Basil Plumley - featured in We Were Soldiers. His first guess was Hal Moore, Mel Gibson's character in the film and Plumley's CO.

Trying to get him with footballers now, managed to get him to his 3rd guess with Hugo Rodallega. Getting serious!
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: bainidhe_dub on 04 Jan 2011, 10:48
I did the Genie and he seemed to be doing fine - was he in a cartoon, was he in a Disney movie, is he a genie, is he bald - and then started asking stuff like, does he live with you. It asked about 10 random questions AFTER establishing that it was a genie from a Disney movie. Weird.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Dliessmgg on 04 Jan 2011, 11:56
He got 2 out of 5. One he didn't know was E.T.A. Hoffmann and now I'm sad.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Lines on 04 Jan 2011, 12:23
It asked about 10 random questions AFTER establishing that it was a genie from a Disney movie. Weird.

It's done that for me, too. I've gotten asked, "Does your character sleep less than the average person?" several times.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Metope on 04 Jan 2011, 12:53
Stomped it with Bruce Nauman, Marina Abramovic and Joseph Beuys, he's obviosuly not that into conceptual art.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jodizzle on 04 Jan 2011, 13:42
Linds I got that question too, but by then he already new I was talking about Stephen Fry and he was an insomniac so that made sense!  He had amazing questions about Stephen Fry.  Does he have a superb vocabulary?

I stumped him on Poison Ivy from the Cramps and when I was going for Tycho from Penny Arcade he guessed Gabe (HOW DOES HE KNOW?  We hadn't even mentioned the internet or webcomics).  Aaron beat him (at last) by being completely obscure with Brak's stuffed lobster hippo from The Brak Show.

Also I just stumped him on Stokey from Inspector Rexx.  HOW HAS NO ONE PLAYED ERNST STOCKINGER FROM INSPECTOPR REX?  He didn't even exist in the database! :(  He was my favourite

This thing is way too addictive.  Must stop...BUT CAN'T
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Tom on 04 Jan 2011, 14:49
Aww, it though Jonathan Meiburg was Eugene Hutz or Will Sheff before coming up with some guy I'd never heard of.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 04 Jan 2011, 15:17
Yeah I was playing Odin and he asked several questions (none particularly relevant) after establishing in short order that he was an immortal mythological Scandinavian with one eye.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Alex C on 04 Jan 2011, 15:19
Akinator couldn't get Sleazy Christopherson.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ozymandias on 04 Jan 2011, 19:22
Man.

It went from

Is your character a video game character (yes)
...bad(yes)
...linked with Nintendo (yes)
...from the Mario series (yes)

to

...a singer from the 80s (wut)

Yes, internet genie, you've got it. It's Boy George.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Cernunnos on 04 Jan 2011, 19:36
It thought Robert Smithson was Frank Lloyd wright, then Man Ray, then Jackson Pollock. Turns out he's not in the database. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Gonna try some other artists.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: jwhouk on 05 Jan 2011, 16:06
It did not get Cassie Wells. (http://www.timeslikethis.com)
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: SonofZ3 on 05 Jan 2011, 16:25
Didn't get Agatha Heterodyne from Girl Genius Comics, Or the American flag. Both were in its database, so I guess I answered questions wrong? :?
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 05 Jan 2011, 16:56
This got The Man with no Name, The Punisher, Don Quixote, Thomas Pynchon, William Tecumseh Sherman, Josip Broz Tito, Captain Ahab, and Emily Dickinson all within 20 questions. Pretty impressive.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: ibrahimdelil on 06 Jan 2011, 02:32
got zooey deschanel. even though i know so little about her and answered "i dont know" to most of the questions.  :psyduck:
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: KvP on 06 Jan 2011, 02:38
I wonder if this uses the same sort of processes that went into the program that's going to compete on Jeopardy (http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/watson/?cn=agus_watson-20100712&cm=k&csr=google&cr=jeopardy_computer&ct=USJWK002&S_TACT=USJWK002&ck=jeopardy_computer&cmp=00000&mkwid=sVxT2m2Uc_7732872453_432ub83684). Obviously much more rudimentary, but I could see how it could work in much the same way.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Something Witty on 06 Jan 2011, 23:42
He didn't guess achoo's father from robinhood men in tights. Ah-sneeze.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ozymandias on 07 Jan 2011, 14:18
Man, goddamn this thing. I had OJ Simpson and one of the first questions was "is he an actor" and I was like "Yeah" because he is but I figured it'd go down a wrong path. Then about five questions later "has your character been tried for murder" completely out of nowhere and I was like FUUUUUUUU

Oh my god I just cracked up- thinking of Lenin, thing's going on the right track (European, governed his country, dead) and then: "Has your character played with Black Sabbath?"

Oh goodness yes.

Oh fuck and then: "Does high school girl's uniform suit your character?"
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Nodaisho on 07 Jan 2011, 15:14
It's good that he didn't play with Sabbath. "Czernobog blast all of you" wouldn't have fit the meter as well.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Lines on 07 Jan 2011, 15:40
I stumped it with K from the webcomic Blip. It guessed Cyd Sherman, but while awesome, that is unfortunately wrong.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: est on 07 Jan 2011, 15:47
How the fuck did it not get Tim Rogers?  I think it was too optimistic when it asked if he was famous in the 80s.  He started out in 89, but You Am I didn't get famous right off the bat.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ballard on 08 Jan 2011, 04:17
He got Woland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita) in 20, but Casaubon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault's_Pendulum) stumped him.

<3

I got Tommy in 38 questions.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Jimor on 09 Jan 2011, 02:35
You know, it occurs to me that Patrick is a perfectly legitimate person for us to train Akinator to recognize.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: KharBevNor on 09 Jan 2011, 06:40
Akinator couldn't get Sleazy Christopherson.

I've noticed that it seems to think everyone from industrial music is either Genesis P Orridge or Dave Tibet initially, though it managed to get Jhon Balance, after guessing Dave Tibet and asking a number of other questions before "is he part of a duo?".

I'd be interested to know a bit more about how this works. Is all the data user-generated? If so, how does it deal with the fact that people might get things wrong? It would be interesting to know if any widely believed rumours or fanon has ever made it in to the database.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ozymandias on 09 Jan 2011, 10:33
It is 100% user generated.

If you click 'details' at the end of the game, you can see what answer it expected for each question relating to your choice and sometimes the answers it expects are wrong, especially for people with very small inputs.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 09 Jan 2011, 10:36
I imagine this whole thing could get seriously fucked up if there was a concentrated effort at providing deliberately wrong answers to questions. For all I know there are certain characters (someone suggested someone like G.W Bush might be a likely candidate) that are already targeted for that stuff.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Alex C on 09 Jan 2011, 10:58
I think Obama is an even better example, given that Akinator likes to ask if your character is from the US.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Akima on 09 Jan 2011, 17:03
I'd be interested to know a bit more about how this works. Is all the data user-generated? If so, how does it deal with the fact that people might get things wrong? It would be interesting to know if any widely believed rumours or fanon has ever made it in to the database.
It is user generated, and there certainly are errors, but when I tested using Zheng He, Akinator guessed him correctly on the first try despite an error in the expected answers. Some sort of weighting, maybe?
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Jimor on 09 Jan 2011, 21:31
Yeah, completely user generated. I'm pretty sure that whatever a majority thinks is the correct answer for a particular question is what will be "correct" for that person. There's enough redundancy after enough questions that even if you get a few wrong or answer "I don't know" for some, there's still enough data. And when it's asking redundant questions towards the end I think is merely data collection on additional questions.

One thing to keep in mind is that the program has NO IDEA what each question means semantically. You could enter the question, "Does your character squibabble lopitidiously?" and it could end up being a fully recognized identifier if there was enough correlation in the answers given to particular people.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: ImRonBurgundy? on 09 Jan 2011, 21:50
Got him to guess Bit from Tron, after two guesses of Wall-E's pet cockroach and the flying carpet from Aladdin. Although that may have partially been from me restricting myself to only "yes" and "no".
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: The extra letter on 10 Jan 2011, 21:33
Going for Elagabalus, it guessed that I was thinking of Julius Caesar, Commodus from Gladiator, Remus and finally gave up.

Went for Warren Ellis, but it guessed Alan Moore. It then got Warren Ellis.

Went for Doktor Sleepless, it guessed Doctor Horrible and a few others and gave up.

It got Phillip Marlowe first guess.


That site tends to vacillate between being incredible and dumb as a plank. In the past it's guessed some really far out there characters, but missed really obvious ones.

Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Jimor on 10 Jan 2011, 22:18
BTW, I did enter our Patrick into the database.  :mrgreen:

The third time through, it got him in 40 questions. I won't say who it guessed before that point because, well, no person should be subject to that kind of comparison. One of the questions that popped up was "Is your character skilled in diplomacy?" I figured since we aren't currently at war with Albania, I could safely answer "yes".
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ballard on 11 Jan 2011, 08:57
It was definitely Zac Efron, wasn't it?
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Nodaisho on 11 Jan 2011, 12:24
Was one of the questions "Does your character need to eat a goddamn sandwich"?

I realized a while ago that I messed up when I did Henry Rollins. I said he was over 50, when he's actually 49. For some reason I had it in my head he was over 50. On the other hand, I think it was really looking for me to say he was a body builder, which he isn't.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: valley_parade on 14 Jan 2011, 10:43
The third time through, it got him in 40 questions. I won't say who it guessed before that point because, well, no person should be subject to that kind of comparison.

Was it Jason Mraz?
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Jimor on 14 Jan 2011, 23:11
It was the singer for Breathe Carolina (I'm so sorry, Patrick).
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Noff on 15 Jan 2011, 07:41
Correctly guessed:
-Tim Armstrong (in overtime, after first guessing his bandmate Lars Frederiksen, which was weird because one of the questions was if he had long hair)
-Juan Martin Del Potro (tennis player)
-Marten Reed
-Fruit Fucker (in overtime again)
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Barmymoo on 15 Jan 2011, 12:33
I wonder how it makes allowances for things that change over time, like hair length or death or ageing? I assume it won't be around for decades but I'm sure that some of the people in its questions will change during its lifetime.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: David_Dovey on 15 Jan 2011, 12:59
Well I imagine that if a person grows out their hair, then there will be a corresponding influx of different answers from people playing that character on Akinator. It'll probably be buggy for a while but eventually the new correct answer will replace the old one.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: Ozymandias on 15 Jan 2011, 13:00
Didn't get Dog Fort. Suck it, genie.
Title: Re: Akinator The Web Genius Will Mess With Yr Head
Post by: elizaknowswhatshesfor on 16 Jan 2011, 06:54
Got Lister from Red Dwarf after asking almost NO relevant questions. Got Jay Baruchel after asking "Is he muscle-y?" (No) :(