Help me find an archive of a Comedy site from the early 2000s
September 28, 2019 3:47 AM Subscribe
In the early aughts, certainly existing around 2002, there was a comedy site where users could ask a question to a website "machine" where if the question was selected, various characters would respond in character, in a chat format, usually to comedic effect. Help me find an archived site if it exists.
I only have the vaguest of memories on this - potential details:
The characters were usually from pop culture, but ranged quite a bit - monty python, comic book characters, star wars, etc. And would usually answer in a chat dialogue with a picture of them that would usually lead to some humorous response that may have drawn from the characters personality and backstory
A typical layout would be something like (and I'm making this up, I don't remember if this was an actual response)
Q: what's the meaning of life?
A: [FORD PREFECT] Really? This question again?
A: [SUPER COMPUTER DEEP THOUGHT] what if I told you it was 43.
A: [ARTHUR DENT] hold on we haven't even understood your original answer ye-
A: [SUPER COMPUTER DEEP THOUGHT] it's 45.
The questions were user submitted and I assume the responses written by a cabal of humans behind the site.
I know it shut down because I remember the closing days where questions and answers were relating to it. There may have been some retro-futurist name to it like chattron 2000 or askbot 2000 or something like that. Kit Fisto from Star Wars and Ford Prefect were definitely at least two of the responding characters.
I'd like to read the archives of the site if it still exists!
I only have the vaguest of memories on this - potential details:
The characters were usually from pop culture, but ranged quite a bit - monty python, comic book characters, star wars, etc. And would usually answer in a chat dialogue with a picture of them that would usually lead to some humorous response that may have drawn from the characters personality and backstory
A typical layout would be something like (and I'm making this up, I don't remember if this was an actual response)
Q: what's the meaning of life?
A: [FORD PREFECT] Really? This question again?
A: [SUPER COMPUTER DEEP THOUGHT] what if I told you it was 43.
A: [ARTHUR DENT] hold on we haven't even understood your original answer ye-
A: [SUPER COMPUTER DEEP THOUGHT] it's 45.
The questions were user submitted and I assume the responses written by a cabal of humans behind the site.
I know it shut down because I remember the closing days where questions and answers were relating to it. There may have been some retro-futurist name to it like chattron 2000 or askbot 2000 or something like that. Kit Fisto from Star Wars and Ford Prefect were definitely at least two of the responding characters.
I'd like to read the archives of the site if it still exists!
Response by poster: Thank you! I didn't know it was an offshoot of forum 2000 but conversatron was what I was looking for, and the coverage link you posted linked it there. Thanks!
posted by Karaage at 5:05 AM on September 28, 2019
posted by Karaage at 5:05 AM on September 28, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by reptile at 4:58 AM on September 28, 2019 [1 favorite]