[UPHPU] Genetically coded website

[Justin Giboney]

Jonathan Duncan wrote:

>
> On a tangent, how is this experiment related to what I assume is a  
> larger project of creating a "genetically coded web site"?  I assume  
> that every aspect of the web site may start off like this?  Is this  
> the first part of the site that you are experimenting with or do you  
> already have parts of the web site genome assembled?
>
> What you are wanting to do, seems incredibly huge and unprofitable  
> from a monetary perspective.  I can see how it could be beneficial  
> perhaps for purely scientific/academic purposes.  Unless your goals  
> are much further reaching than the near future.
>
> Trying to decide the color of a button/link without context might not  
> give you the results you are looking for.  Unless, again, at this  
> stage all results are purely academic.
>
> Cheers,
> Jonathan
>
> Side note:  No matter what the outcome, the description, "genetically  
> coded web site", has some pretty good PR value to it.
>
>
Jonathon,

I have just recently started reading about genetic algorithms and 
artificial intelligence (see 
http://www.ai-junkie.com/ga/intro/gat1.html), it is very interesting. 
Most the world thinks of artificial intelligence when they play computer 
games. There is a lot of money in the gaming industry also. While I love 
computer games, I also have a passion for business.

So, as I thought about AI for the last little while, I started thinking 
about how I could apply AI to businesses. The thought came to me as I 
was looking over my analytics, that companies spend hundreds of 
thousands of dollars to create awesome websites that do what?

Try to get a customer to click a button.

It is that simple. Companies (not  necessarilly organizations) exist to 
make money. So why couldn't AI be applied to getting a user to click a 
button?

Would it be difficult, and a lot of coding? Yes.
Would it make me filthy rich? Most likely not.
Would it work? I belive it could.

Think about a nation-wide website that sells books. With good AI 
built-in, it would know (theorizing here), that most consumers out of 
California, buy books that are about yoga when showed on a light green 
background with a dark tan "Buy Now" button, so why not show yoga books 
to Californians on a light green background, and a dark tan "Buy Now" 
button.

This kind of information would be cost prohibitive to ab test for all 
types of books.

As suggested earlier, if this were built into a CMS, like Drupal, or 
OSCommerce, it would greatly enhance the effectiveness of those websites.

Companies, would pay for that.

Justin Giboney