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21L.015 INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES

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MEDIA IN THE DIGITAL AGE I: NARRATIVE FORM IN DIGITAL MEDIA

29 april 1997

Janet H. Murray

READINGS

• Joseph Weizenbaum, The Computer and Human Reason, pp188-191
• Joseph Weizenbaum, "ELIZA-- A computer program for the study of natural language communication between man and machine," in Computational Linguistics, pp. 36-45 ·
• Zork: A Computerized Fantasy Simulation Game

This class will consider two landmarks in the development of the computer as a medium for telling stories: Eliza and Zork.

HOW TO TALK TO ELIZA

On Athena, bring up the emacs word processor by typing

emacs

Within emacs do:

escape-x doctor

This will bring up a version of Eliza. Talk to her. Save and print out your best (funniest, most coherent) conversation. (Control-X Control-S to save; Control-X Control-C to quit emacs.)

Eliza is also available via telnet.

HOW TO PLAY ZORK

On Athena,

add games

cd /mit/games

Read the READ ME file in this directory, and then find a copy of Zork or Adventure that suits your workstation Play for one hour, trying to get into the house and down to the cellar..

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

Lenny Foner's "EntertainingAgents" on talking to Julia, one of Eliza's most accomplished "daughters.". (Login as "julia" to talk to her yourself.)