Gaim, Chatbot

Gaim is an excellent multiplatform, multiprotocol instant messenging client (if you don't know what I'm talking about, just know that it replaces the AIM or Windows messenger or Yahoo messenger programs). One of its features is a plugin interface that can handle perl scripts (perl is a programming language, not the shellfish puke). On the gaim sourceforge page, there are a lot of these perl plugins which people have written that can be fun to use to mess with your friends. For those of us Linux users, chances are you are already using gaim and have perl installed. If this is the case then all you have to do is install the Chatbot::Eliza perl library and put the script in your plugins folder (~/.gaim/plugins). The Chatbot::Eliza lib is available using cpan, just run ["perl -MCPAN -e "shell"] (remove the []) then when you get a prompt enter [install Chatbot::Eliza]. The script I am using is called ElizaLovesYou and can be found here. For you windows users, (I haven't tried this) you should be able to use the script by first installing the activeperl (the MSI package should work well, take the defaults) then install Chatbot::Eliza using the "perl package manager". From here you can download the script and put it in the plugins folder of your gaim installation folder (chances are c:\program files\gaim\plugins). Now that you have the script installed you can just enable it in your gaim preferences and wait for someone to IM you. Have fun! (who needs an away message?)


Edit: Went and tried to install on a windows system. It doesn't seem to work right now. The active perl version of cpan can't find Chatbot::Eliza. That being said, somone should be able to figure out how to make it work, so I am leaving the entire original post. (or it may just start working at a later date). If you do get it to work, post a comment

Edit: Another note: for Windows users, you would use the same [install Chatbot::Eliza] command once in the "package manager" Linux users (most other UNIXes to) may need to configure cpan if you have never used it before. typing "no" to the first prompt should take care of this.