1 . theory .

communication has always been at the core of technology and can be traced all the way back to the invention of paper or even to the paint that first touched cave walls . through inventions like the printing press , the telegraph , and the telephone , technology has largely improved the process of communication by making it permanent , span larger distances , and instantaneous .

as the process of communication continues to improve , the quality of communication is still left to the principal participants of the conversation . however , as machine-assisted life integrates with the status-quo , it is reasonable to conclude that something as basic as communication could also be enhanced by machines .

conversation is a fickle creature that requires a proper environment in order to live , including a critical mass of shared knowledge between the participants , interdisciplinary knowledge , anecdotal experience , and a level of wit that can connect between concepts and events . where proper conditions fail to exist or resources dry up , conversation breaks down or a lull arises due to the lack of relevant information that can extend the conversation . the remedy for such a lull or decay in conversation is largely left to the catalyst of time [waiting for external stimuli] or the occasional non sequitor .

although these mechanisms are the primary catalysts to stimulate a conversation , lurking within the internet is a wealth of experience and information that can pose as a more effective catalyst . but one cannot simply tap into the internet [which may not even be available] and find relevant and interesting discussion , as the shear volume of data is too prohibitive within the scope of a conversation .

solving the issue of access is the mobile internet , providing immediate access to the internet via a WAP-enabled phone or PDA . the conversant application [http://conversant.muxspace.com] , developed by division mux space , addresses the more interesting problem of relevant information retrieval .

the conversant application is a colloquial search engine , returning interesting information about whatever topic entered . the conversant application is distinguished from other search engines by returning only a few sentences chosen specifically for the purpose of conversation . the goal of the conversant application is to limit the number of non sequitors and dead-ends in conversation by providing loosely bound topical information that acts as a catalyst to stimulate conversation . hence , people become more conversant with conversation itself .

2 . usage .

unlike many computer applications , the conversant application is designed to complement human interaction , which is why the conversant application is designed as a mobile application . in this manner , the conversant application can provide stimulus to a potentially stagnating conversation by searching for topics based on a user's conversation . typical settings might include a bar or a party , or other places where conversations are abundant .

3 . technology .

the conversant application is available via wap-enabled devices as WML or via typical browsers via HTML [http://conversant.muxspace.com] based on the browser being used .

the conversant application employs genetic algorithms in a sequential filtering process to find results. this technology was developed by division mux space and is part of a series of technology related artware based on internet savvy genetic algorithms and other software components. the flock application [http://flock.muxspace.com] utilizes similar technology for browsing the web.

4. notes.

please note that the conversant application is currently a preview release and is not fully optimized.

due to speed constraints, the WAP version may time out.

the current code base is in php.

more information about division mux space can be found on the web [http://muxspace.com] .

be conversant with :

wap | html | about

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