Kon - Version 1.0.6 Alpha

With as many updates to Kon in the past few weeks I'm starting to think I should have renamed this blog to "Kon Updates." Seriously. Well, I can't help that I've been motivated to try and keep improving Kon.

Anyway, the alpha version of 1.0.6 source is now available in the /src-alpha/ folder. As a reminder, there will be no executable provided with alpha (or "in-testing" ) source and it may not be completely finished.

This version has had a lot of changes. So much, in fact, that I decided to finally start a change log. At this exact moment in time this is what I've done for version 1.0.6.

- Changed "brain.kon" to "kon.brain" in order to keep consistency later on (with new brain additions).
- AIML dll was updated by myself in order to try and improve memory management. The new dll MUST be used in order for this version of Kon to work correctly (it is included in the zip and in both src folders).
- Improved and fixed the PING/PONG so that it finally sends the correct information back
- Improved most of the IRC code. The ReceiveData() method now uses a combination of IF/ELSE and SWITCH statements to determine what the server messages are showing up (for example "PING" or "PRIVMSG", etc).
- Added multiple methods to handle various messages (QUIT method, PRIVMSG method, etc)
- Added a reconnect() method. ** It is in testing stages right now and may not work completely right.
- Added try/catch to the logger method to try and prevent certain errors
- Changed the way the log file works slightly to try and prevent exceptions and to just improve it
- submitting the user and nick are now in the authorize() method
- Fixed an exception that kept being thrown when quitting
- Removed the "full path" stuff from the main function when generating and reading the config file. This will hopefully stop a bug that keeps appearing.


Also, although unmentioned above, I believe this version of Kon uses less memory overall compared to previous versions. This is one of the reasons I had to go in and edit the AIML dll source. Mind you, toggling the AIML brain will cause a huge increase of RAM allocated for Kon (upwards to 60MB). Unloading it will not see an immediate decrease, but give it 5 minutes or so and you'll notice it will drop significantly. I have seen Kon use less than 1MB of RAM after ideling for awhile. Around 2MB is average for standard use without AIML.

Anyway, hopefully there will be more to come.

Kon - Version 1.0.5 Release

A few weeks ago I released the alpha version source for Kon version 1.0.5. Today I finished up everything that I wanted to accomplish for this version and released it.

Most of my goals for this version are done. I have separated Kon's brain from the AIML brain. I've also set up some checks so that it won't load the AIML unless the user wants to actually use the AIML. This frees up some memory (as it won't load all of the AIML files until they're needed). Unfortunately, when the user turns the AIML on for the first time it does take a little longer to load since the bot will have to then load all the files into memory. Due to how many AIML files the bot is using, it takes around 40 seconds on my machine (speed may vary).

GoogleBrain is disabled to start by default. This is because it's not quite as good as I had hoped. Sometimes it works beautifully, other times it leaves you scratching your head trying to decipher exactly what it was the bot pulled up. I'll try to improve it in the future.

The next version, however, I'm going to focus on setting it up so the bot owner can set up a list of users that can access the various bot commands (like !quit or toggling brains) via the config file.

More SHC News

Well everyone, there's more news related to Sears Holdings Corp, its managers, its stores, or other. These are articles that I doubt you'll hear on CNN or find being broadcasted within the stores.

► 8 Companies that May Disappear in 2008
Sears is mentioned in this article (obviously). It mentions that the whole "temp CEO" thing sounds a bit like a prelude to an auction.

► Saving Sears Doesn't Look Easy Anymore
This is a great article that talks about what Eddie Lampert had in mind when he first decided to merge K-Mart and Sears (well, his front anyway) and now how it's a sinking ship. This is also a good quote from a side that we rarely hear about, the vendors. "Shoppers and workers are not the only ones complaining. Vendors who sell to Mr. Lampert say his relentless cost-cutting has steadily eroded their business at both Kmart and Sears, giving them little incentive to offer the chains their best new products. A result: a vicious circle of poor sales and second-rate merchandise."

► 1,000 O'Hare flights canceled due to brutal snowstorm
In Chicago the Westfield Hawthorn Mall closed at 2 p.m., making it the first time the mall has closed early in five years due to weather. "The decision is unusual, but necessary to ensure the safety of customers, retailers and staff, Kneeland-Woods said. " Why am I linking this? Because "one of the anchor stores, Sears will remain open" (emphasis mine). Yes, Chicago is being beaten by a brutal snowstorm, a mall that never closes has completely shut down .... except for the Sears store. Sure shows you what Sears thinks of its employees and their safety, huh?

► Sears' turnaround plan short on details, long on odds
"The desperate challenge facing Lampert is to turn around a storied 115-year-old department store chain suffering from a steep decline in sales and profits. But true to Lampert's secretive style, it's anybody's guess--not just on Wall Street, but also from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy at Sears' Hoffman Estates headquarters--how to fill in the details." In other words, no one knows what's going on except for the puppet master and he's not saying anything. This article also points out one more thing: "Lampert seems to want each of the new divisions to operate as separate profit centers. But that strategy creates the potential for confusion, because the separate units won't always work together. Conflicts of interest might arise." (emphasis mine)

► Sears filing outlines payout to ousted CEO
"Aylwin Lewis, forced out this week from the top job at Sears Holdings Corp., will continue to receive his $1 million salary through March 2010, Sears disclosed in a regulatory filing late Wednesday." Hush money? It seems very clear to me that Aylwin did not step down willingly. He was fired but they spun the news to make it seem like he was gracefully stepping down and taking responsibility. Hmm.

► Hanover Twp. Sears warehouse lays off 90
The layoffs have begun. "The Sears warehouse and shipping center in Hanover Township cut nearly 20 percent of its workforce Monday in the face of lean retail sales." I doubt you'll ever hear about this from anywhere else but here.

► Sears Canada and The Salvation Army Blanket the Country
FINALLY something positive! But it's from Sears Canada. From what I understand Eddie only owns about 70% of Sears Canada and the rest are still in the hands of the Canadian people (despite Eddie's efforts to buy all of it and make it a private company). Still, even though it's not completely our Sears, it was a good thing that they did.


That's all for this news update. There will be more to come (oh yes, there will be).

As an added bonus, I thought I'd go ahead and link everyone to a documentary called "The Corporation" (link). It's a three hour documentary that takes the corporation as a person (since corporations are, essentially, virtual people under the law) and analyzes the psyche and mental state. What kind of person would a corporation make? You'll have to watch and find out. (Note: broadband definitely required. dial-up would take the rest of your life to buffer it).

This documentary will open your eyes and will shock you. I HIGHLY recommend it.