Note: This brief how-to guide is modeled on similar pages in the Center for the Virtual University's UMUC-Verizon Virtual Resource Site for Teaching with Technology. In describing 14 different Web-based technologies, we assigned categories of difficulty to each, from easy to moderate to hard. The cost involved in developing intelligent agents, as well as the programming skill required to run them, renders them a "hard" technology.

An intelligent agent, or bot, is a program that executes tasks autonomously upon activation. The program has a triggering mechanism built into it which enables it to carry out its work once it is initiated. The term "bot" is a shortened form of "robot" (from the Polish word robuta, meaning "forced labor") and is now used interchangeably with "intelligent agent."

Intelligent agents perform a broad array of services, including automatic searching, answering specific questions, providing information and updates about events, running programs and presentations, reporting current news, comparison shopping, and tutoring.

For examples on the Web, see the related links.

In order to run intelligent agents on your computer you need a Pentium-class PC with MMX technology or a Macintosh PowerPC computer with a sound card, high-quality microphone and speakers. A fast connection (T1 or better) to the Internet is necessary. As most intelligent agents are being developed for Microsoft Explorer, you should be running the latest version of that browser.

Developing and customizing an intelligent agent for educational use is expensive and time-consuming, and requires professional equipment and programming expertise.

Hardware
On the Apple platform, a Power Macintosh running at speeds of 300 MHz or better or preferably a G3 Macintosh is suggested. On the PC platform, a Pentium II or better running at no less than 300 MHz is required. 96M of RAM (random-access memory) or better is strongly suggested.

Software
Many intelligent agents are natural language-based, meaning you can use a text editor to get them to perform simple tasks; however, an expertise in C++ and Java Programming are needed to create sophisticated bots with activities and reflexes specific to the purpose for which they are designed. In addition, if you want the bot to activate other technologies, such as streaming media, you will need to know to make these work together seamlessly.