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I don't know exactly how I would feel about having my consciousness installed in a computer... I think it might be neat, if most of my personal memories were stored in a separate database so they wouldn't distract me. I'd love to have several centuries in which to do research and write, but I'm afraid I would miss my body and my family if those memories were too accessible. On the other hand, I suspect that by the time I've lived a full life I might be ready to just be pure brain. In some ways it would be wierd just being a copy of myself, and I imagine it would be extra strange if those copies existed in multiple locations, having different experiences and developing in separate ways. If I met myself on the web, would I like me or hate me?

You'd make out with yourself, and you know it.

Inasmuch as digital personas can make out.

I think that this concept of "thinking in models" is something we generally understand that most people do not. Even if you introduce the concept to them, my suspicion is that they'd go through life trying to find the "real" model for everything, which is what people tend to do anyway.

More???

"Eventually."

Ofuk, WIN. We can flood other, lesser-known advice columnists too.

Post the columns if/when they come out. I don't get the newspaper.

I'm on the road right now and can't mail anything, so anyone can take this and use it:
~~~~~~

Dear Abby,

I've always tried to be accepting of other people's religions, especially those of my friends, but lately one of my closest friends (we'll call him "Bob") has been going overboard. He claims to be part of this cult called Discordianism, which he says is 'a joke disguised as a religion and a religion disguised as a joke' or something like that. Now he laughs at all kinds of jokes I don't get, is outrageously suspicious of government activities, and is generally just acting weird. I don't know what to do! He hasn't done anything harmful yet, but I think being part of this "religion" that refuses to take anything seriously could be harmful to "Bob's" mental health. Even worse, he could get other people in on this act, and from what I've read in their supposed holy book (The Principia Discordia), having too many Discordians in one place could be disastrous. Please help!

Yours,
Greg Hill

Meh, I already edit her novel-in-progress. I wanna write some shit.

Problem is, I'm not quite sure what happens next in this little story.

mind if i steal this, tack it to my wall and give copies to all my friends who like the postapocalyptic scifi thingy?

Kopyleft, bucko! Use it as toilet paper if you like!

That was a pretty cool setup.

If you have the endurance, this could make an interesting novella.

I have a friend who writes who suggested co-writing it. But she hasn't been exposed to enough troof, imho, to make it quite what it's supposed to be. I could be wrong though.

The flaw in the design, as I see it, is in part the shape of the magnet. It's a disc, meaning it has edges, and the thinnest part of the silicone coating was right on those edges. A better design might be to use a spherical or elliptical magnet.

There are 22 points. Did you do that on purpose?

Alternatively, 

Sounds like agnosticism to me.  Which is just fine with me, I'm mildly agnostic actually.  It's just that when I see no evidence of something existing, the probability is low enough that I just assume that it doesn't exist.  When/if any evidence is found, I quickly change my position.

So you would change your position?
How can we, the people, possibly trust someone who doesn't know where they stand?
     \
   :foxnews:

Hey, if anyone gets their consciousness downloaded into a soup-er computer, can they put my memories and experiences into a separate file? I don't feel like being conscious for a zillion years (I might become a victim of philosophy), but the idea of my slightly twisted mind being able to infect humanity long after I kick the bucket is a pretty cool idea.

Also, just yesterday I picked up the Scientific American Reports issue on exactly this topic

[But the reason I really dislike RAW is he took something that was meant to be, to a degree, indefinable and went and created a whole damn subculture based around it.]

But the reason I really dislike RAW is he took something that was meant to be, to a degree, indefinable and went and created a whole damn subculture based around it.  If you read some of the other stuff by Hill and Thornley, you'll notice they were quite into their Zen.  One point that really stuck with Thornley in Zen thought is that naming something essentially destroys it.  Once you have a name, you can caricature it, you can define and exclude and you can eventually subvert it.  Once something has a definable set of ideas and symbols linked with it, it'll be in Hot Topic next week.  And once the Con has its hands on a movement, it ceases to be relevant or dangerous to the prevailing orthodoxy.

Is this TEH POINT that us fuckwits keep missing? Or did you use your super-secret literati powers to disguise TEH POINT in multiple layers of meaning behind what is, essentially, a statement of opinion?

[maybe]

maybe my perception is a bit warped due to this messageboard. but on the other hand, i do know several people IRL that occasionally like to be "random", but completely lack in any kind of grace or insight of the execution and cause this sort of hurting UNNG groan deep inside of me. the best bit is when i comment and they answer they don't care what anybody else thinks ..

No "maybe" about it. My perception was changed by 132% when I joined this board.

I'd make the advertising non-obstrusive and as small as possible while still being readable.  I mean, literally put it in size 8 font on the bottom left corner of the poster or something.  And only put it on half of them.

If you've set your heart on advertising, that is.

ITT, Cain steals the only good idea I had to contribute.

lail