Slashdot Mirror
Synthetic Interview With Bill Joy
generic-man writes: "As part of the Earthware Symposium on the next 50 years of technology, Carnegie Mellon researchers invited many people prominent in technology to speak about what lies ahead. They created a Synthetic Interview with Bill Joy -- ask it a question, and you'll get the most appropriate answer out of the many that were provided. Questions about the future of technology are the most appropriate things to ask him."
"Hey its one a.m! Go out to a bar, or see whats new on Slashdot.org."
Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I'll never know.
Would be a virtual interview with Bill GATES.
All you need is one answer:
"Windows will solve that for you."
Bill Joy just crashed when I asked him a question. This world we live in is far to surreal when a statement like the previous one makes sense.
Looks like it's slashdotted. Probably can't handle more than a handfull of users at a time. (It looks like this was meant as a research project, not a production server).
`ø,,ø`ø,,ø!
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
I'd ask "him" myself, but the site's already slashdotted. I mean, he was the principal designer of BSD, got the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (think Nobel prize for computer geeks under 30), was all over pipeline structure for the Sparcs and NFS (ok, maybe we should skip that last one). Here was a fellow who really knew technology from the inside out and who had a vision for how things ought to be: not dictated from management or marketing, but from an engineer himself. I respected him.
But now look at him. Co-chairman of the Presidential Information Technology Advisory Committee. You can even listen to him discuss all the "great problems" his panel worked on, all the "exciting directions" he and the panel (and the Federal government) will take us in the next century.
Don't get me wrong. I like the Federal government. I think it's a great testimony to the strength of our democracy and constitution that our government has the ability to adapt to changing times and assume the vital roles our states can no longer play themselves (at least in the last eighty years or so). But at the same time, it's the same government that can't seem to keep its hands of the technology sector. Build this bomb; don't distribute these songs; don't do drugs or use the internet to tell your friends how to do drugs.
And where is Bill Joy in all this? He signs right up to be a big part. Not just a panel member, but the co-chairman. I'm not sure I would've done any different in his shoes, but then I don't have his stock options. I have a mortgage to pay and mouths to feed (if you count my pets -- I sure do). Power is seductive, but maybe he even could've made some great use of his. Maybe he could've brought a strong voice to the table and guided our nation with sensible national policy in this area for a change.
But did he? The answer is clearly 'no' or else we'd have heard of it by now. Did any of you even remember that panel when it was formed or what came out of it? It was buried pages deep in the New York Times. Not even the science&technology section made much fanfare.
Frankly, I'm disappointed with the guy. He let us all down.
-- Anne Marie
The site's not working
Good thing its just a program
Bill Joy's slashdotted
Does anybody ever keep track of whether any of these futuristic predictions are coming true? If nobody checks up on how good these predictions are turning out, it's basically a cottage industry to subsidize some guys sitting and spinning yarn.
I keep reading predictions in almost every magazine, but nobody ever cross-checks and makes a comparison. eg., "XYZ predicted this 5 yrs ago, and it was total crap" or "It's on track and the pieces are coming together".
The only two exceptions have been Cliff Stoll and Bob Metcalfe. Their biggest mistake was that they actually predicted something measurable in their lifetime, and even worse, about something less than 5 yrs in the future. I guess Bill Joy, Kurzweil and the rest have learnt from it and make sure to predict the future 20 or 50 yrs or so. That way, they will have sold all their books and be treated as "accurate" visionaries in their lifetime.
As Homer would say - So long suckers!
w/m
An internal exception has occurred
So, you're saying you don't know either?
Let's listen in for a moment, shall we?
Bill:Man, I'm beat! WAY too many questions today!
Eliza:You look pretty tired but you just got started, pal! Wait until you've been doing this for a while like us! I fold!
Bill:I was doing ok and fending fairly well until about 10pm or so. I just suddenly got pummeled! I'll see your bet and raise you!
Eliza:That'd be those Slashdot people!
Bill:Who?
Dr. Saibatso:You'll get to know 'em REALLY well, in due time! Just keep making the news every so often! I've got three Jacks!
Bill:Eliza, does that beat my flush?
Eliza:Sure does, Bill, we're not AI for nothing you know!
Bill:DAMN!
Fade away as The Dr. and Eliza wink at each other...
I think this is how the networks staged the presidential debates!!
This is a reminder not to believe everything you see. Unless you're a Simpsons fan, of course, then you already know:
Homer: Somebody had to take the babysitter home. Then I noticed she was sitting on [splice] her sweet [splice] can. [splice] -- o I grab her -- [splice] sweet can. [splice] Oh, just thinking about [splice] her [splice] can [splice] I just wish I had he -- [splice] sweet [splice] sweet [splice] s-s-sweet [splice] can.
Jones: So, Mr. Simpson: you admit you grabbed her can. What do you have to say in your defense?
Homer: [looking lustful in a clearly-paused VCR shot]
Jones: Mr. Simpson, your silence will only incriminate you further.
[paused shot of Homer grows larger]
No, Mr. Simpson, don't take your anger out on me. Get back! Get back! Mist -- Mr. Simpson -- nooo!
Man: [quickly] Dramatization -- may not have happened.
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end communication