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British Military Deploys Skynet
rowleyrw writes "The BBC are reporting, 'The British military is set to take one of its most significant steps into the digital age with the launch of the first Skynet 5 satellite. The spacecraft will deliver secure, high-bandwidth communications for UK and "friendly" forces across the globe.' It's not yet the Skynet of Terminator, but how long before it becomes self aware?"
...what can go wrong?
...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
There has got to be a stop to these summaries ending with a question. Haha, terminator, we get it thanks. Next!
I for one welcome our new cybernetic overlords.
(Give me a break, in all my years here I don't think I've *ever* posted about overlords, Soviet Russia, or hot grits on petrified Natalie Portman)
Someone with Ahh-nold's accent would stick out even more here than in the States.... ;)
So I think we're safe.
With spending like this, exactly what are "conservatives" conserving?
Anyone have an idea of how much bandwidth it provides?
can it find Sarah Connor?
Not just Skynet, but Satellite Five as well?
Even if the Daleks and Terminators wiped each other out, I don't think there'd be much left.
the california govenor.... he'll know what to do....
Note that this is the launch of Skynet 5. Skynet 1A was launched in 1969. See the Wikipedia article for more details.
When someone designs an autonomous implementation,equipped with AI.
"Right, then, old chap: I'll need your clothing, your wellies, and your motorbike, if you please."
About as long as it will be until the average slashdottie stops thinking of the world in terms of the B movies he's seen. In other words, don't hold your breath...
Or do you want terrorists to win over a Skynet that isn't self aware?
What will your children think when you explain them how terrorists kicked Skynets ass because it wasn't self aware?
I thought so...
Let's start by getting Tony Blair and his Labour government cronies self aware first...
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
...don't you see? They're already up there. Or does that mean it's 5 times more powerful than the original? Either way; it's game over man.
And why, why, why would you call it Skynet? Seriously? I mean, they're in England - that's like an hour's flight from Greece, and yet they've never heard about Hubris?
Well can it re-assemble itself after the Chinese hit ti with a lazer?
Libertarian Leaning Political Discussion Forum.
I guess this is the sort of thing the Chinese were thinking about when they recently destroyed that sat. Information security is all well and good, but useless if it can just be shot down.
This sort of post is why I use other sources of news, and now visit slashdot perhaps once per week. I think slashdot has lost their way.
No, I'm New Here
"The International Sock Puppet Corporation is announcing, 'The International Sock Puppet Corporation is set to take one of its most significant steps into the digital age with the launch of HAL. This sock puppet is made of soft luxurious cashmere and will deliver comfort and style to the user and "friends" across the globe.' It's not yet the HAL of 2001, but how long before can read lips!?" 'Look this system is going to rev 80.22.6 from rev 80.22.5 and it has the same name as something ominous I have seen in a movie!' I mean seriously. This summary is just silly.
Ah damn! We don't really want a beowulf cluster of these...
That August 4th, 2007 is ten years from the date the movies specified? Coincidence. Or did the time travel just screw up everyone's memories?
If you'll excuse me, I have a bunker in my backyard to finish.
No sig for you!!
AT&T used to have a skynet. Announced and then about 6 months later renamed.
Back in the 1980's.
but how long before it becomes self aware?
Probably when it starts posting insightful comments on Slashdot.
It'll start posting on Digg first but... well, you know...
Summation 2
It would be a bit of a dull film since there are really no guns in the UK. You can't want into a shop and buy some and most police don't carry them. It would be down to fist fights or knife fights.
Forget the stupid terminator reference to something that's been around a lot longer than the Terminator series. I want to know how long before the 'secure' transmissions are decrypted by some black-hat hackers in North Korea and one time pads become a requirement. Also I hope they've cooked up some excellent misinformation to sift into the normal transmissions.
Anyone care to guess what kind of encryption they'll be using? Something they cooked up for the job or something that's been out a while? I'm not a cryptographer. I am curious though, what kind of digital encryption is out there that's considered unbreakable?
TLF
I do not respond to cowards. Especially anonymous ones.
Funny, really when the world comes to an end I don't think it will be robots. It will be commercials. I'm serious.
I welcome our future robot satellite overlords. And at least its the UKs fault and not Americas
Look, it's a Government software project. In our future Skynet 12 was outsourced to EDS and was a multi million pound write off, sentience was not achieved.
Humanity was actually destroyed by a design error in the launch software due to a document created by a Sub-Regional Outsource Interface Committee working on Skynet 14, which launched 12 years late and went eight times over budget.
Slashdot staff decide to remove all debate-sparking questions from reader and editor submissions. But can Slashdotters handle discussing difficult topics without the guidance of an idiotic leading question?
The climactic final fight in Terminator II is actually a "fist" fight with no guns..
All we know that the fictional Skynet messed up the USA. Period. What it did to the rest of the world is unknown, however, we can safely assume that small British Isles weren't harmed. So...
"...how long before it becomes self-aware?"
Give me strength and defend me from morons who think computers can spontaneously develop sentience and awareness. If a network of computers was ever able to do that, it'd have happened by now. Unfortunately for the computers and the microcephalic twats who produce drivel like this it's just not possible. No computer, however advanced or however well-networked could ever exceed its programming. AI is a pipe dream.
Would this be a story at all if it was named anything other than Skynet?
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
These non-existant handguns seem to kill some kid in the UK every week. The gun prohibition is as effective as all prohibitions in removing the prohibited thing from society.
They whose government reduces their essential liberties for temporary security, receive neither liberty nor security.
Says they scrapped the launch due to issues with the "deluge system"
More likely the problem stems from a deluge of Arnie jokes...
You need more psychedelic art in your life. rhesusmonkey.deviantart.com
how long before it becomes self aware?
Do you have the slightest hint of how a computer works? If you do, answer me this: how mant beads do I have to put on my abacus before it becomes self-aware?
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
It's not yet the Skynet of Terminator, but how long before it becomes self aware?
My guess is well before the morons that built it.
Hardware Abstraction Layer in Windows. I can't let you play that protected content, Dave!
"Only the small secrets need to be protected. The big ones are kept secret by public incredulity." - Marshall McLuhan
The US to the UK, are considered associate's, not friends.
...don't you see? They're already up there. Or does that mean it's 5 times more powerful than the original? Either way; it's game over man.
No, the first three tries were sabotaged and destroyed before completion. The fourth one disappeared 24 hours after it became operational. The fifth one is our last best hope for communications.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
It stands for Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. You yanks really have to loose your love affair with the letter Z (It's pronounced "zed" BTW).
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.