From: Emlyn (onetel) (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Fri Jul 21 2000 - 08:21:26 MDT
Robin wrote:
> As you may have noticed, the term "singularity" is used many different
ways.
> But it seems you think that there is more than a 90% chance that the first
> uploads would kill you. Is that because you are special, or do you think
>90%
> of everyone would be killed? Do you expect that because that is what you
> would
> do if you succeeded in being one of the first?! Think carefully; I may
> have to
> start the "Anyone but Emlyn" faction. :-)
>
Bwah ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!
No, I don't intend to kill everyone if I am uploaded first. Nor am I
special, and thus worthy of special termination treatment (*sniff*).
I think there is a huge chance that the rest of us would not be uploaded by
SIs. I wonder if they would be particularly attached to humanity (especially
given periods of torture as corporate uploads), and I think they'd resent
the possible competition. And if those who are not uploaded, and not allowed
to upload, would have a terrible time of it. I imagine humans wouldn't have
much utility in an SI economy; maybe we'd be popped in a sheltered workshop
of some kind if we're lucky. Or in the carnobot, if we're not so lucky.
Maybe I should change what I said above to "I'll kill you all! Ha ha ha!". I
think an "Anyone but Emlyn" faction would be fantastic. Let's face it, my
chances of an upload without it are pretty slim. Whereas, a strong lobby
group trying to stop me would help spread the meme that "Emlyn was a
candidate for first upload". People would hear about "Anyone but Emlyn", and
think there must have been a chance that I would be uploaded. Most people
would only remember my name, not what the message was about.
My best bet then would be to get friendly with the environment movement. I'm
betting that "Anyone but Emlyn" would be mostly extros, which should whip up
a healthy opposition of greenies if it is successful enough. Those guys are
getting particular sway in government circles too. So, I'd just "correct
some misinformation" (that is truly from the PR textbooks, if you're
interested), and spread the complementary meme that "extros are bad anti
environment, anti gov fascists that eat babies (and baby seals); Emlyn is a
good green, socialist leaning, government friendly, 100% recyclable tie-dyed
environmental crusader who wants the best for our planet". Nice good-vs-bad
meme basis, should take root.
I'm not sure if you guys can keep the heat up; if not, I'd do some
fundraising for the anti-techie-fascist movement, and use it to hire a
pseudo opposition to get out there and break some stuff, knock over
someone's grandma, say nasty things about the queen mother. As the friction
builds, the heat rises, I'd push the greenie-friendly government types into
spending buckets on researching uploading. If some corporate entity beats us
to the punch, we'd have it confiscated; Earth First!
Then, we'd put a few enemies of the state through the process (and turn 'em
off quicksmart), until it's working. Finally, I'd be uploaded and
distributed into govt computer centers around the world, ready to make the
world safe from techno facists who want to chop down all the trees and
replace them with plastic trees.
And then, well, then the fun begins. Bwah ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!
Maybe Emlyn++ the capricious SI would then upload you all, maybe not. I'm
not qualified to comment.
Emlyn
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