Re: The Surrealist complement generator

Lee Hollingworth (lee@giaeb.cc.monash.edu.au)
Tue, 9 May 95 11:42:39 EST

> The Surrealist complement generator is located at
> http://pharmdec.wustl.edu/cgi-bin/jardin_scripts/SCG
>
> Every time you access the generator, it gives you a sentence which has
> the conventional format of a complement, with random elements
> interspersed. It is working proof that at least on the level of a
> sentence, one can generate a meaningful story by taking a standard
> plot device and inserting random elements.

I contacted the maintainer and the compliments are not generated
but are a "database" of compliments which are randomly displayed.

> Question is: does it scale? Can it be made to work for something as
> complex as a play or a film? This would be the true measure of its
> utility for VR interactive experience.

Well if we defined a database of terms (objects), applied some 'basic'
grammatical rules, then I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to come up with
a real compliment generator. Whether that is proof that something
bigger would work is really quite subjective.

If all we wanted to do was create a "painting" then the same could be
applied to graphical objects and some spatial rules. In fact that
would probably be easier than a compliment generator. But I think we
are digressing from the personal surreal experience, to something
that "looks surreal"...

Lee.