Frequenting #joiito IRC channel got me thinking about IRC which is still a wild technology in my opinion.  For some reason, IRC technology has stood still while its cousin Instant Messaging surged forward.  One idea I had recently was Living IRC Server.

Living IRC Server is an IRC server enhanced with AI and designed to strive for survival.  For a server to survive, it must be useful.  To be useful, IRC server must encourage participation, enhance user experience, and market itself using allowed mediums like web pages, feeds, e-mail, IM, etc.

For example, not everyone is equal in any given IRC channel.  There are key individuals who can make or break a chat session or channel.  On #joiito, Joi Ito is a key person.  Joi and a few others often act as catalysts, encouraging participation, new topics, and informally mediating conflicts.  Making their messages more noticeable (i.e. increased font size, underline, or highlighting) so they don't get lost heir messages can impact the IRC channel's survival.

Marketing-wise, IRC server might send an IM notice to inform and invite individuals to join a session.  For example, if conversation level is low or turnover (popping in and out) is high, IRC server can notify catalysts with information that might entice them into joining the conversation like "Joi, there are 24 people in #joiito.  Their names are…"

Service bots spamming for survival, eBay server taking self-initiated actions to enhance auction participation, etc.  It's a confusing picture of what might be ahead that both intrigues and disturbs me.  Imagine a Match.com bot whose primary survival goal is encouraging marriages.  That bot could keep introducing new prospective spouse even after your marriage since there was no mention of 'everlasting' in the survival goals.