Calexta97 was the code name of a children's dictionary program created and developed by the late Dr.Susan Finch from 1997 to 2008. It was outfitted with an experimental voice recognition system Dr. Finch also developed by herself for the application. 

 

The dictionary was outfitted as a child friendly chat bot tentatively named Cal, Short for Computer Pal. Cal was made to be a digital, gender neutral, child narrator. Cal was accompanied by a set of 7 stuffed animal characters. These characters were supposed to be the AI's personal toys that they would share with the user while they were learning together. The program was designed to work for both one on one sessions with a child and for group sessions with an adult presenter.

 

While both modes of the program were well received in internal testing, the program had issues stabilizing funding and multiple companies put money into the project before pulling out over issues of budgeting or changes in internal management. Eventually the project was sold to a company only interested in the dictionaries voice detection capabilities, yet purchased all but the internal name and placeholders. The true form of Calexta97 was one of an edutainment program that will never be released, but Dr. Finch was satisfied with the reuse of her work in her lifetime. 

 

Our own mod team member Cal has named themselves after this defunct edutainment program, out of a personal attachment to the project and its characters. Dr. Finch did approve of Cal using anything left from the game that she still had legal precedent over before her passing, and Cal wants that information on the site at this point.