It's a computer program whose only Artificial Intelligence is for shopping. Your let the bot explore, collect features and prices, compare offers from different websites, even exchange information among bots, like 'how much is it -at the pen drive store?', then present it back to you in an orderly fashion. Same as an E-Mail filter, only smarter than that, because it presents you a completely customizable catalogue of intesrests, and never wastes your time (you can let it botting around while you're away). It 'represents' you in the virtual market, it may ask for a budget by automatically filling out forms, but it would never buy anything unless you specifically tell it to. No credit card number disclosure, or else you may set up a limit to services. Like, you're spending too much money on your cellular phone calls, set xx.xx money and tell the bot to explore the market under xx.xx a month and pop up if it finds an interesting offer.

A professional version would exist so that big businesses can automatically bargain in advance of the trade agreement, etcetera.

Halfbaked, but a good version could save huge amounts of time, signing up, in, out, unsubscribing, and all of those routine actions.
-- mayihave, Aug 11 2007

There are comparison websites out there, dunno if I'd leave a bot sitting at my computer whilst I'm on holiday though, if that's what you mean or is this just a piece of software?
-- skinflaps, Aug 13 2007


Sounds a little like the auctionspy or auctionsniper or whatever they are.
-- moomintroll, Aug 13 2007


My 'elf would rather do the shopping.
-- xandram, Aug 13 2007


Prices don't control everything in my life... I like to know that products were not made in certain countries which don't care about the environmental damage they are causing to the planet, or from companies who exploit their workers etc etc.

Some countries don't even believe that they are the biggest contributors to the greenhouse gasses which cause global warming. I try to buy nothing made in these places. I also boycott Norwegian, Japanese and Icelandic products because they like to exterminate whales. Canada is also on my radar screen over seal pup slaughter. In fact I never buy anything ! rant (can we please have italics to use in our annotations Jutta?) ....peaks out nervously from under table ready for anticipated tongue lashing.
-- xenzag, Aug 13 2007


RoboShop: "Put the credit card down and step away from the shopping."
-- DrBob, Aug 13 2007


I don't like whales either. Bastards.
-- theleopard, Aug 13 2007


[xenzag] While you are under that table, you might want to look at its certificate of origin. I bet it is either made from petroleum products, or unsustainably harvested wood.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Aug 13 2007


Still laughing [DrBob], lol..., //step away from the shopping// If only we could stop buying unnecessary 'everythings'... Yes, [skinflaps] it's intended to be some kind of software, of course. Anyway, I wouldn't use it myself unless for corporate applications...

Hum, nice debate over fair/unfair trading, both [xenzag] and [miasere]. I think it's big corporations / countries the ones at the decission-making end of this, not individuals' commercial choices, even though they all (individuals) deserve utmost respect. Can't say that much regarding big companies / governments.
-- mayihave, Aug 13 2007



random, halfbakery