Hi Baby_duck,
Quote:is there someone really listening to me or was this just a case of random, computer - generated responses.
Technically speaking, these are computer generated responses, but are far from being 'random' responses. The program is a script that self-evolves and self-develops, in the sense that it remembers or records the words/messages/phrases of other human users (eg. yourself), and based on keywords and contextual syntax, 'vomits' out these phrases (that it has reason to believe has relevance) in reply to your own.
This is why :
1) The computer generated responses seem so human, because the phrases were the ones inputed by other human users, just as your own inputed phrases, are being recorded and added to the computer's vocabulary.
2) The computer generated responses seem so appropriate, because its aritificial intelligence picks out certain keywords and based on various contextual syntax, guesses which phrases in its vocabulary would be relevant to your inputed messages. So it would appear that you're being listened to, and in its own limited way, it's true, it *is* afterall listening to you, in the best way it can.
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But as always, what truly matters (in terms of understanding and clarifying yourself and your issues better) is in your own inner feelings, issues and responses to everything around you, including the computer responses. That is to say, it doesn't mean that because the responses are generated by a computer, that the conversation was 'meaningless' or that you were 'gullible'. What gives the conversation meaning here, is within yourself. The computer is but a tool for that purpose.
This (clarification within), of course, is a distinct (though related) aspect from being involved in relationships of deeper levels of interaction with other beings (humans or others from any level and kingdom), interactions of love and assistantiality, of mutual evolutionary partnerships, of participating in polykarmic projects (ie. involving and reaching the karma of many individuals and entire societies; when your work benefits many; eg. the various religious or spiritual teachers and leaders, saints such as Ghandi and Mother Theresa, specialists such as Bruce Moen and Michael Newton, scientists who rise above personal greed to willingly contribute to the betterment of mankind, etc).
Both of course, are equally important, and should proceed hand-in-hand. Evolution and Assistantiality, are the twin goals of existence. "Whom have you Helped? and What have you Learnt?" are the two questions everyone must answer for him/herself (truly *for* him/herself, and not just for the sake of convincing his/her evolutionary orientors, advisors and teachers), after this lifetime is over.