Between 2005 and 2009, I spent many hours exploring mIRC, a popular IRC client with a scripting feature called “Remote”. At the time, it seemed like just a fun hobby, making scripts to keep chatrooms free from spam, creating quizzes, or even participating in playful script battles we called “war scripting”.
Looking back, those days taught me much more than I realized. mIRC scripting became my introduction to logical thinking, debugging, and patience. Every little script required problem-solving and creativity, shaping skills I would rely on later in my career. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the time and freedom to experiment and learn during those years.
Later, I transitioned from mIRC scripts to more structured programming with .NET and C#. Using a SQLite database, my chatbots became smarter, more responsive, and easier to maintain. These projects helped me understand the value of clean code structure and data management.
Discovering Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML) was another turning point. With the AIMLbot.dll library, my chatbots started handling more sophisticated interactions, making conversations feel more natural.
Eventually, I explored Synthetic Intelligence Markup Language (SIML), which offered even greater flexibility. Inspired by Dr. Alfred Lanning’s digital hologram from “I, Robot”, I built a JavaScript-based chatbot using elizabot.js to store and share my knowledge digitally.
Looking back, each step in my journey, from casual mIRC scripting to advanced chatbot development, felt like a fortunate opportunity. I learned from supportive communities, open-source projects, and my own curiosity. These experiences shaped not just my technical skills, but also my understanding of learning itself.
It’s humbling to reflect on how those early, playful experiments guided my path and opened doors I never expected.
Update #1: Later, I created HelloBot and hnbot, chatbots built on rivescript-js and the RiveScript interpreter engine.
Update #2: I’ve backed up some of my mIRC scripts, as well as archives from Yahoo Group.