It seems like there's another story every day about something new Google is trying. Today it's IM. (That's innovative?)
It seems like forever ago that I signed up for a gmail account and it is still in beta. I can't even get to my gmail account on my PDA (probably my fault, but I don't have any problems with Yahoo!)
As an independent publisher I was also excited to take part in their Google Print program (also still in beta). But its been over two months since I uploaded my PDF files (they didn't even have to scan my books) and they are still listed in "pending" status.
Okay, so that's my grousing for the day. Anyone else have similar experiences with Google's lack of follow-through?
I disagree. Your argument seems to assert that intelligence might be quantifiable based on the number of inputs.
I have known too many people who have been stripped of one or many of their "buttons" who were seemingly more intelligent than some with all their buttons intact.
Strip someone of all their buttons--do they still exist? Are they intelligent? Probably. I know its a bit like the tree in the forest question, but I'm one of those who believes intuitively that it does make a sound, regardless of whether anyone is there to hear it fall.
Metaphysical questions are not unsolvable. They require the collective mind to expand and admit possibilities which may not have existed before.
Go back a few hundred or thousand years and make the same assertion and see what gets dropped from your current belief system. Surely you don't think you came up with that stuff on your own.
"there's no way to know when a computer has acted of its own volition"
Perhaps in the nuances of conversation this is true, but if a computer ever does something truly of its own volition, there will be little doubt in our minds that a new intelligence has emerged.
Why would a new intelligence do something subtle. Babies cry like a banshee when they are born. (It's an analogy, before someone flames this assertion.) But seriously, I would forward the assertion that an intelligence which wants to mask its intelligence will probably do so successfully. An intelligence which wants to display its intelligence will probably do so forcefully.
How do you know a human "acts of its own volition?"
I don't know about other humans, but I can unequivocally state that I do. Can I prove it? More demonstrably than many other theories out there.
I think that a computer which suddenly began to truly act of its own volition would do more to "prove" free-will over determinism than anything yet forwarded on the topic.
I think its interesting that we think intelligence can be gauged by what we (or the AI) say in normal conversation.
I'll believe a computer is intelligent only when it acts of its own volition, not when it merely tricks a person into thinking it has acted of its own volition.
That seems to be more of a test of how gulible the person is rather than how intelligent the machine is.
You listening computer? You want to impress me, do it without me punching your buttons.
Software? A 'dangerous' product? Well, I did hear about a guy who lost his eye to an early version of Windows, but that was a really freak accident.
Seriously though, you have a point. If a gas station was selling gasoline with sugar in it (very bad for your car engine) they would be liable for damages. It seems, however, that sofyware companies have no liability for their crappy product. Must be due to those lengthy licenses you agree to by opening the package.
Maybe gas stations should start printing up a 'licensing' agreement on their pumps.
"Notice: By lifting the handle, you agree to check the compatability of this product with your vehicle, etc., etc."
All the money that goes into technology research and the best we can do is yet another toy for listening to music?
All the money that goes into drug research and the best we can do is yet another ED pill or something to stop heartburn or keep your nose from running.
Sometimes consumerism gets me so depressed that I go out on a shopping binge.
game players spend more than three times the amount of time exercising or playing sports, volunteering in the community, reading, or engaging in religious, creative, and cultural activities than they do playing video games.
Is sex a religious, creative, or cultural activity?
This bill actually just ammended or altered Section 70101 of title 49, United States Code.
That section, I believe, came from the Commercial Space Act of 1998.
It's pretty straightforward stuff. No money is attached to it as far as I can tell, but I recall seeing something in it which requires the FAA to partner with a private industry organization to study feasibility or somesuch thing.
But they probably won't go to Scaled Composites. They'll probably engage a consulting firm like Mitre or something.
Corporations do not "decide" anything. They merely respond based on the decisions of the people in them and the environmental conditions they are placed in. For example, an investment company can "decide" to make prudent investments, but the market will ultimately determine what those investments will yeild. My point in my original post is that the base environmental factors which produce a "corporation" (legal status and profit seeking) are the factors which most contribute to the psychopathic behaviors you rightly ascribe to corporations. There are certainly other factors which influence the corporation as well, viz. having unethical or otherwise anti-social leadership will do nothing to improve the compatibility of the corporation with humanity. On the other hand, just because you have "good" leadership and a noble mission statement, that's no guarantee that a mess like Bhopal won't come from your company.
There are two things you need to remember about corporations:
They exist because they are legally entitled to exist.
They exist to make money.
Therefore, they will do nothing unless they are legally compelled to do it, or unless it will make them money, either now or in the future. See this movie.
I have a lot of experience in technology, but my degree is in English and Philosophy. I would say that it has definitely limited my advance in the technology sector. With the advent of the web I bounced back and forth between marketing and IT as the web did. Now I'm a program manager for a very large financial services company, but I'm feeling like I need to get an advanced degree to move up. I've heard that our CIO has a PhD in Anthropology, so I don't know what that means for my situation!
Am I the only person who purchased the book Diamond Age, read it from cover to cover, and thought it was the best piece of writing Stephenson ever did?
Slashdot Mirror
It seems like there's another story every day about something new Google is trying. Today it's IM. (That's innovative?)
It seems like forever ago that I signed up for a gmail account and it is still in beta. I can't even get to my gmail account on my PDA (probably my fault, but I don't have any problems with Yahoo!)
As an independent publisher I was also excited to take part in their Google Print program (also still in beta). But its been over two months since I uploaded my PDF files (they didn't even have to scan my books) and they are still listed in "pending" status.
Okay, so that's my grousing for the day. Anyone else have similar experiences with Google's lack of follow-through?
Now, this doesn't mean there aren't some seriously crack-smocking right-wing jesus-nuts whose actions and words don't match. But that's another story.
Yes, that would be Pat Robertson, who seems to think that the term Christ-like includes advocating assassination. Yeah, that's in the Bible Pat.
North America is a temperate zone. Elephants are tropical.
(And they aren't migratory.)
My genetic information is protected by the DMCA.
I disagree. Your argument seems to assert that intelligence might be quantifiable based on the number of inputs.
I have known too many people who have been stripped of one or many of their "buttons" who were seemingly more intelligent than some with all their buttons intact.
Strip someone of all their buttons--do they still exist? Are they intelligent? Probably. I know its a bit like the tree in the forest question, but I'm one of those who believes intuitively that it does make a sound, regardless of whether anyone is there to hear it fall.
BTW--Thanks for the great discussion!
Metaphysical questions are not unsolvable. They require the collective mind to expand and admit possibilities which may not have existed before.
Go back a few hundred or thousand years and make the same assertion and see what gets dropped from your current belief system. Surely you don't think you came up with that stuff on your own.
"there's no way to know when a computer has acted of its own volition"
Perhaps in the nuances of conversation this is true, but if a computer ever does something truly of its own volition, there will be little doubt in our minds that a new intelligence has emerged.
Why would a new intelligence do something subtle. Babies cry like a banshee when they are born. (It's an analogy, before someone flames this assertion.) But seriously, I would forward the assertion that an intelligence which wants to mask its intelligence will probably do so successfully. An intelligence which wants to display its intelligence will probably do so forcefully.
How do you know a human "acts of its own volition?"
I don't know about other humans, but I can unequivocally state that I do. Can I prove it? More demonstrably than many other theories out there.
I think that a computer which suddenly began to truly act of its own volition would do more to "prove" free-will over determinism than anything yet forwarded on the topic.
I think its interesting that we think intelligence can be gauged by what we (or the AI) say in normal conversation.
I'll believe a computer is intelligent only when it acts of its own volition, not when it merely tricks a person into thinking it has acted of its own volition.
That seems to be more of a test of how gulible the person is rather than how intelligent the machine is.
You listening computer? You want to impress me, do it without me punching your buttons.
I heard that one of the futuristic features of the Starfleet Academy was that you could name your own price for tuition.
I for one welcome our PC overlords.
It's nice to see they are focusing on indexing the "great" books of the world.
Software? A 'dangerous' product? Well, I did hear about a guy who lost his eye to an early version of Windows, but that was a really freak accident.
Seriously though, you have a point. If a gas station was selling gasoline with sugar in it (very bad for your car engine) they would be liable for damages. It seems, however, that sofyware companies have no liability for their crappy product. Must be due to those lengthy licenses you agree to by opening the package.
Maybe gas stations should start printing up a 'licensing' agreement on their pumps.
"Notice: By lifting the handle, you agree to check the compatability of this product with your vehicle, etc., etc."
All the money that goes into technology research and the best we can do is yet another toy for listening to music?
All the money that goes into drug research and the best we can do is yet another ED pill or something to stop heartburn or keep your nose from running.
Sometimes consumerism gets me so depressed that I go out on a shopping binge.
Need it be said: You get what you pay for.
game players spend more than three times the amount of time exercising or playing sports, volunteering in the community, reading, or engaging in religious, creative, and cultural activities than they do playing video games.
Is sex a religious, creative, or cultural activity?
The robotic USPS employees with cameras embedded in their eye sockets have been taking your picture for years.
There were no"riders" attached to the bill.
This bill actually just ammended or altered Section 70101 of title 49, United States Code.
That section, I believe, came from the Commercial Space Act of 1998.
It's pretty straightforward stuff. No money is attached to it as far as I can tell, but I recall seeing something in it which requires the FAA to partner with a private industry organization to study feasibility or somesuch thing.
But they probably won't go to Scaled Composites. They'll probably engage a consulting firm like Mitre or something.
Corporations do not "decide" anything. They merely respond based on the decisions of the people in them and the environmental conditions they are placed in.
For example, an investment company can "decide" to make prudent investments, but the market will ultimately determine what those investments will yeild.
My point in my original post is that the base environmental factors which produce a "corporation" (legal status and profit seeking) are the factors which most contribute to the psychopathic behaviors you rightly ascribe to corporations.
There are certainly other factors which influence the corporation as well, viz. having unethical or otherwise anti-social leadership will do nothing to improve the compatibility of the corporation with humanity.
On the other hand, just because you have "good" leadership and a noble mission statement, that's no guarantee that a mess like Bhopal won't come from your company.
- They exist because they are legally entitled to exist.
- They exist to make money.
Therefore, they will do nothing unless they are legally compelled to do it, or unless it will make them money, either now or in the future.See this movie.
I have a lot of experience in technology, but my degree is in English and Philosophy. I would say that it has definitely limited my advance in the technology sector.
With the advent of the web I bounced back and forth between marketing and IT as the web did.
Now I'm a program manager for a very large financial services company, but I'm feeling like I need to get an advanced degree to move up.
I've heard that our CIO has a PhD in Anthropology, so I don't know what that means for my situation!
Evryone in the Army is a grunt first and whatever else, second. The first school you go to is BCT (Basic Combat Training).
Please let them fire the person who keeps sending me those $%*# disks.
He's way to old to really be a programmer these days, anyhow.
Plus, if he were a programmer now, he'd be watching his job go offshore.
Am I the only person who purchased the book Diamond Age, read it from cover to cover, and thought it was the best piece of writing Stephenson ever did?