From: Madame Ubiquitous (eileen.krasowski@yale.edu)
Date: Sun Dec 19 1999 - 20:32:57 MST
>I believe it was me. In response to a vegetarian who claimed that
>anything that doesn't want to die has a right to live, I asked whether a
>Java applet that screamed when the mouse got close to the "quit" button
>would have a right to live.
Depends very heavily on your definition of "want." Can an icon "want"? I
bet it "wants" to live significantly less (if at all) than a plant "wants"
to live.
>Yes; how many people would refuse to shut off their computers for fear
>of destroying the "Don't kill me!" applet? If there was a little box to
>converse with it, and it had a page of standard responses for the "I
>have a right to live" script, you could even get the viewers to form an
>emotional attachment with it. And whenever you closed the page or shut
>down the applet, it would scream. If you'd conversed with it long
>enough, it could even say "I thought you were nice!" before it died.
You see, my initial reaction to this was "that's silly, it's an inanimate
computer no matter how many cute little faces you put on it." But then I
remembered how I reacted at one point when a not-very-nice person I have the
misfortune of knowing took quite a bit of pleasure in tearing off the heads
of beanie babies. I wasn't too happy. So, yeah, I think to a certain
extent there are perceptual cues that are connected to memes we follow: one
of them is "don't harm things that are cute without good reason." Self
protection is a good reason. Food is a good reason. Taking pleasure in
seeing their destruction is not.
>The question is, when does this actually become immoral-for-humans?
>Apparently people spend time downloading the Tortured Norns from that
>page and rehabilitating them, and frankly, I think I'd rather be around
>the healers than the page owner. Once you get go beyond Eliza
>script-followers to Norns that can feel negative feedback, that can be
>traumatized, then in my opinion we're skating on thinner ice than I want
>to ride.
Oh, agreed. I'd rather be around the people who cuddle beanie babies than
those who tear their heads off. Because heuristically, they tend to be
nicer people. I think this is because those who tear the heads off have
willingly detached themselves from that particular meme, and that meme is
useful for maintaining a respect for life in general. Now, I'm not arguing
that torturing Norns or beanie babies will necessarily make those who engage
in such activities horrible people. However, the "don't hurt cute things
without good reason" keeps us from harming animals, babies, children, etc..
I personally think its a good thing to have around.
Eileen, prepared to get shot down :) I'm gonna go rehabilitate a Norn now...
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