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Post by Daedalus on Nov 4, 2014 9:15:29 GMT
How were you thinking it would connect to the brain? I assumed it would be like a computer screen, but in your head. I assumed it would be a true neural interface (Kat-style) - hooked into your neurons and controlled by thoughts and the electrical impulses thereof. That connection could hypothetically be reversed, sending electrical impulses to trigger certain neurons. A sufficiently integrated system attacked with a sufficiently powerful virus could affect your thoughts to an unknown degree.
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Post by keef on Nov 4, 2014 21:48:01 GMT
So if you could have a communications port installed.. the internet straight to your brain, every book ever digitized searchable, every cute animal video as close as your own memories, and instant communication with everyone else with the same implant... would you? Hmm...well, it might make me hackable...but it would be so helpful, even ignoring the cute animals I could see on a daily basis...and all facts would be available, removing the need for memorization... Probably? If I could acquire a good neural antivirus? Even better (imo) would be a closed, non-networked system where I could do complex calculations and store data, but without connections to outside servers. Hm extended memory, Johnny Mnemonic style, that's just not good enough, I would go for the real thing. The only condition would be a hardware switch. Just a simple button somewhere under my skin to switch it off. How were you thinking it would connect to the brain? I assumed it would be like a computer screen, but in your head. Not a clue. I guess you need some connection to the visual and the auditory cortex but how I really don't know. It's probably still a long time before this becomes reality. As for the danger of hacking; you need some kind of interface anyway, make it read only, and make it filter out anything that would be dangerous for your mental health (although in some way that would be half the internet )
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Post by Gotolei on Nov 5, 2014 2:35:25 GMT
How were you thinking it would connect to the brain? I assumed it would be like a computer screen, but in your head. Not a clue. I guess you need some connection to the visual and the auditory cortex but how I really don't know. It's probably still a long time before this becomes reality. As for the danger of hacking; you need some kind of interface anyway, make it read only, and make it filter out anything that would be dangerous for your mental health (although in some way that would be half the internet ) On top of that, in an age where even "smart TVs" come pre-loaded with cameras and spyware one would have to be excessively careful to make sure there isn't anything shady going on with something directly interfacing with their brains.
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Post by TBeholder on Nov 5, 2014 11:11:09 GMT
I assumed it would be a true neural interface (Kat-style) - hooked into your neurons and controlled by thoughts and the electrical impulses thereof. That connection could hypothetically be reversed, sending electrical impulses to trigger certain neurons. A sufficiently integrated system attacked with a sufficiently powerful virus could affect your thoughts to an unknown degree. If you figured out how to make field transistors work backwards, don't muck around, fill the patent already.
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Post by Daedalus on Nov 5, 2014 16:14:43 GMT
I assumed it would be a true neural interface (Kat-style) - hooked into your neurons and controlled by thoughts and the electrical impulses thereof. That connection could hypothetically be reversed, sending electrical impulses to trigger certain neurons. A sufficiently integrated system attacked with a sufficiently powerful virus could affect your thoughts to an unknown degree. If you figured out how to make field transistors work backwards, don't muck around, fill the patent already. We're talking about neural interfaces and hacking. I assumed we were in the realm of science fiction hahahahah
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Post by TBeholder on Nov 6, 2014 10:54:02 GMT
If you figured out how to make field transistors work backwards, don't muck around, fill the patent already. We're talking about neural interfaces and hacking. I assumed we were in the realm of science fiction hahahahah We may have vastly different idea of where "science fiction" ends and "space opera" starts...
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Post by GK Sierra on Nov 8, 2014 4:16:10 GMT
Hey ( Per or anyone else) does anyone here follow Dresden Codak? I am curious to discuss with anyone what they think of the recent pages. I love that someone is giving trans-humanism the artistic treatment it deserves, but frankly if I had known about the author what I know now, I probably would not have participated in his Kickstarter. Hey ( Per or anyone else) does anyone here follow Dresden Codak? I am curious to discuss with anyone what they think of the recent pages. Dunno if I'm following. I check the site twice a year to binge on three or four updates at once. But yeah, in context I'm guessing the unblinking eye is the jack that hooks a cyborg's brain into the matrix that everyone's in or the wireless light-based equivalent or something like that. And in saying that I think I've sort-of explained what I think dark science is. Probably something like that- and we can guess in what direction it is heading already since the Hob storyline depicted time travelers from a future where humans had grown utterly dependent on machines and were essentially slowly dying while the mother machine was becoming some kind of higher-level being that had no need for humans anymore. Although, that could be just one out of an infinite set of possible futures. I'd ask Diaz if he subscribed to the multiverse theory, but as mentioned before, he is a bit of a knob.
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Post by GK Sierra on Nov 8, 2014 4:34:17 GMT
Hmm...well, it might make me hackable...but it would be so helpful, even ignoring the cute animals I could see on a daily basis...and all facts would be available, removing the need for memorization... Probably? If I could acquire a good neural antivirus? Even better (imo) would be a closed, non-networked system where I could do complex calculations and store data, but without connections to outside servers. I doubt defending yourself would be an issue. Hypnosis might be a problem, but a couple of simple systems like a deadman's switch and such would keep out simple neural attacks, and I find it difficult to imagine anyone constructing a virus to run on the human brain if you were the only specimen. Edit: Alright, let's figure this out. How many ways could you attack a mind directly via such a port? Hypnosis, or more malignant, related techniques like those described in Snow Crash immediately come to mind, but I don't think that the scenario presented there is viable in the near future. Overloading the connection could be prevented using very, very simple electronic mechanisms. The main issue would probably be attacks on the computer interpreting the data fed into your mind. It really depends on how it links up... I've been assuming that it connects directly to the visual cortex. How were you thinking it would connect to the brain? I assumed it would be like a computer screen, but in your head. Nobody's quite sure yet how it would work, which is why they haven't yet done it. Installation would be dangerous if it was an invasive, or even merely a sub-dermal implant, and there would be a risk of infection or adverse reaction. Hacking would be a HUGE problem. You can't design a computer of any kind without outputs AND inputs, and once there are inputs, they must be guarded fiercely, especially if they lead to a human brain on the other end and have control over certain aspects of the brain's function such as vision. Already humans can make basic binary choices translate to a computer with thoughts alone via EEG technology. Hackers will migrate to every new information technology we invent. We just have to buy out the best ones and turn them into white hats. Its the only way to win.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Nov 8, 2014 14:16:50 GMT
Hey ( Per or anyone else) does anyone here follow Dresden Codak? I am curious to discuss with anyone what they think of the recent pages. I love that someone is giving trans-humanism the artistic treatment it deserves, but frankly if I had known about the author what I know now, I probably would not have participated in his Kickstarter. Dunno if I'm following. I check the site twice a year to binge on three or four updates at once. But yeah, in context I'm guessing the unblinking eye is the jack that hooks a cyborg's brain into the matrix that everyone's in or the wireless light-based equivalent or something like that. And in saying that I think I've sort-of explained what I think dark science is. Probably something like that- and we can guess in what direction it is heading already since the Hob storyline depicted time travelers from a future where humans had grown utterly dependent on machines and were essentially slowly dying while the mother machine was becoming some kind of higher-level being that had no need for humans anymore. Although, that could be just one out of an infinite set of possible futures. I'd ask Diaz if he subscribed to the multiverse theory, but as mentioned before, he is a bit of a knob. (shrug) In Kimiko's write-up on the cast page it says she stumbles on alternate spheres of existence which is not quite saying the same thing. But yeah, pretty sure however we get there the end result will be all the "secret knowledge" will turn out to be false, Kimiko's science light will be eventually shown correct in some way that humbles and astounds all, and the biggest godlike robot will be wheeled out from behind the curtain at the end.
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Post by KMar on Nov 8, 2014 19:16:26 GMT
Hey ( Per or anyone else) does anyone here follow Dresden Codak? I am curious to discuss with anyone what they think of the recent pages. I love that someone is giving trans-humanism the artistic treatment it deserves, but frankly if I had known about the author what I know now, I probably would not have participated in his Kickstarter. If I'd known about the quoted comment all what I know now, I would not have not participated in this discussion. (On a more serious note: that kind of throwaway line just ... annoying. Now I'm wondering whether I should spend an hour searching the internet to see if I had manage to find out what you could possibly be referring to, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Nevertheless, yet you've planted in my mind a seed of uncomfortable suspicion. Trolling should be outlawed. E: Okay that was slightly rant-ish, I apologize, but still.. it's annoying.) Dunno if I'm following. I check the site twice a year to binge on three or four updates at once. But yeah, in context I'm guessing the unblinking eye is the jack that hooks a cyborg's brain into the matrix that everyone's in or the wireless light-based equivalent or something like that. And in saying that I think I've sort-of explained what I think dark science is. Probably something like that- and we can guess in what direction it is heading already since the Hob storyline depicted time travelers from a future where humans had grown utterly dependent on machines and were essentially slowly dying while the mother machine was becoming some kind of higher-level being that had no need for humans anymore. Although, that could be just one out of an infinite set of possible futures. I'd ask Diaz if he subscribed to the multiverse theory, but as mentioned before, he is a bit of a knob. Personally, I don't even try to figure out how to fit the Hob storyline in the current one, because I'm lazy (and my memories of archive-binging the Hob are quite hazy anyway), and the current story is entertaining enough without timetravel related headaches. It might make sense in the end, or might not, but I try to enjoy the ride. (Also, ooh look shiny pretty pictures.) On the topic of human-computer cybernetic mind link: There's quite extensive literature on this (well, most of it is science fiction of variable level of 'hardness'). Because nowadays even scifi authors realize that sticking wires and stuff via permanently open wounds into brain wouldn't be ...healthy, I think for some time they've preferred different variations of wetware solutions ('indistinguishable from magic' level nanobots populating your brain or other comparable bioengineering). How that kind of experience would be like (extra field of vision? optional dream sequence?) is up to one's own imagination. However, a system consisting of Google Glass style visual computer output (or brain input, if you prefer that way) and for input (output), something like the EEG or other related external brain monitoring GK mentioned (enchanted with e.g. tracking eye movements) might be even in the realm of feasible.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Nov 9, 2014 15:24:36 GMT
Probably something like that- and we can guess in what direction it is heading already since the Hob storyline depicted time travelers from a future where humans had grown utterly dependent on machines and were essentially slowly dying while the mother machine was becoming some kind of higher-level being that had no need for humans anymore. Although, that could be just one out of an infinite set of possible futures. I'd ask Diaz if he subscribed to the multiverse theory, but as mentioned before, he is a bit of a knob. Personally, I don't even try to figure out how to fit the Hob storyline in the current one, because I'm lazy (and my memories of archive-binging the Hob are quite hazy anyway), and the current story is entertaining enough without timetravel related headaches. It might make sense in the end, or might not, but I try to enjoy the ride. (Also, ooh look shiny pretty pictures.) I don't think there's any time-travel involved between the two arcs. I think people's memories were modified/erased of how they wound up where they are now in. And KimmyKims "life" means just that, an actual one instead of a virtual one 'cause she's the main interface or somesuch.
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Post by Per on Nov 12, 2014 15:23:03 GMT
Hey ( Per or anyone else) does anyone here follow Dresden Codak? I am curious to discuss with anyone what they think of the recent pages. It's basically moving too slowly for me to care much. I'm sure things will make a little more sense when read in quick succession. Disappointed Melchior is alive after his somewhat decent "I'm blowing myself up so you don't have to" moment. Going back through the recent pages I can trace my own growing disinterest with the storyline. In #21, Vonnie announces her intention to go and talk to Asmodea. When this actually happened in #26, posted some nine months later, I had forgot who either of those characters are. I thought they were some random fillers whose significance might or might not be explained as anything other than "wacky Nephipolis background goings-on". #26 also has the first appearance of Leviathan (in armour). I had of course forgot about that when he showed up "for real" in #28, three months later.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Nov 14, 2014 3:39:44 GMT
It's basically moving too slowly for me to care much. I'm sure things will make a little more sense when read in quick succession... [nods sagely] That's why I only check it a couple times per year. I binge on all three or four new updates along with backtracking to the start of the current arc. There's too many regular updating ones that I can spend my teeny amount of time on. Deep Fried has come out of hibernation recently, and Unsounded has ended its break and started a chapter that the author promised will be super-bloody. ...Going back through the recent pages I can trace my own growing disinterest with the storyline. As you may have guessed from my previous posts I never thought Diaz was a spectacular writer, but I do like his illustration style. The two rarely combine in the same individual and it's somewhat unreasonable to expect that in a one-man show. While I am pretty sure I know where his story line is going I am hoping I'll enjoy a few twists along the way.
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Post by Daedalus on Nov 19, 2014 5:37:42 GMT
Site claims to track the number of people visiting webcomics: piperka.net/top.htmlGunnerkrigg is #2 by this count (behind xkcd). As much as I would like that to be true, I doubt it. Thoughts?
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Post by GK Sierra on Nov 19, 2014 5:57:44 GMT
If I'd known about the quoted comment all what I know now, I would not have not participated in this discussion. (On a more serious note: that kind of throwaway line just ... annoying. Now I'm wondering whether I should spend an hour searching the internet to see if I had manage to find out what you could possibly be referring to, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it. Nevertheless, yet you've planted in my mind a seed of uncomfortable suspicion. Trolling should be outlawed. E: Okay that was slightly rant-ish, I apologize, but still.. it's annoying.) That's a very round-about way of asking me to explain what I mean, but I'll take it. It was a lot of different things. I think that most people, myself included, could care less about what kind of person the creator of the comic is so long as the comic looks good and meets its deadlines (GKC has spoiled me in that respect). You would also expect that when someone creates a Kickstarter, they should create it in good faith with the supporter, to stick to deadlines (rewards were not ready, some people who paid a good chunk of change waited months to see their stuff), and generally to treat it as a transaction, a pledge of support, and not as a money grab. For the internet peanut gallery, the high-water mark was when he drew pin-up art of his main character and declared that he was empowering women. I don't count myself a supporter of third-wave feminism or mobs of social justice warriors using the internet to confront oppression, but I have to say I enjoyed watching him get chewed out for his obviously self-serving bullshit. I enjoyed it because so many people came out of the word-work to tell him what I had always suspected for years- that he was a bell-end.
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Nov 19, 2014 8:59:50 GMT
Hmmmmm... many topics there to talk about. I'm sympathetic to people who Kickstart to take a new comic and turn it into a business; without naming any names, there have been artists who've gotten a pile of cash and quit their day jobs and then started missing updates and fumbling around with products, convention appearances and self-promotion efforts... probably because they weren't aware of what they were getting into. Essentially, it's starting a small business and you're suddenly your own boss. In ancient days of yore I ranted at length about the difficulties of "running a fulfillment center out of your home" on this forum so I won't put you through that again, gentle forum-goers.
But among some who do free web-comics the attitude carries over that since they provide free content that their readers should be grateful for whatever they provide. While that is certainly true as far as it goes, when the artist starts making promises to the fans in return for donations (be it an update per X dollars donated, or rewards for tiered supporters or what-have you) the relationship changes and the artist who doesn't at least acknowledge that risks alienating some of his or her fanbase. I don't follow Diaz's personal life and I haven't heard anything either way about his career, or if he is an illustrator elsewhere full-time or not, but he has been in the webcomic game for a good while; he should have been somewhat aware of what he was getting into.
And I suppose that brings my meandering train of thought to the question of criticism and artistic temper in general. In My Humble Opinion people who tend to be good artists tend not to be great at public relations one way or another. In art schools (or even art classes) you get a quantity of criticism from instructors and peers so you *have* to get used to it at least to an extent, but many web-cartoonists are self-taught so they don't run that gauntlet. The internet is not the most sensitive of places so even if you can disregard the peanut gallery as being generally ignorant I suppose fault-finding from someone who is seen as a fellow "authority" might sting. There's a reason that criticism isn't allowed in this forum in the fanart thread unless invited, after all.
If you'll permit me to wander farther afield, let me take a moment of your time to rant against "artist's statements." If I have to read one more of those super-paragraphs of garbage looking to sift out the three or four relevant factoids I'm going to rip some canvas. True, they're not written by the artists in question for the most part, but by convention they're wordy and packed with trendy turns of phrase that communicate nothing except that my time has been wasted and the person who wrote it was paid by the word, line hour, or pound.
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Post by Daedalus on Nov 19, 2014 16:47:50 GMT
I really have no opinion about Aaron Diaz as a person, but his comic is (usually) amazing.
...and it would be even better if it wouldn't update so damn slowly :/
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Post by imaginaryfriend on Nov 19, 2014 20:15:38 GMT
I really have no opinion about Aaron Diaz as a person, but his comic is (usually) amazing. I've criticized his writing but I do like his art style. I think his bio said something about starting art college after engineering school but never finishing; that could mean anything from a couple weeks of classes to several years. ...and it would be even better if it wouldn't update so damn slowly :/ Other than that one other biggish project I don't recall him plugging anything on the DC site so I'm inclined to think that he still has his day job. That does limit one's time. Fred Gallagher of Megatokyo, on the eve of the birth of his first (and so far only- I think) child, blogged his plan to keep a regular update schedule for his comic while maintaining all the stuff he was doing before. Shortly after he clicked "post" the older sections of the internet howled with laughter. Well, other stuff happened but happily Megatokyo has now improved to a monthly or bimonthly update...
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Post by Gotolei on Feb 13, 2015 3:45:19 GMT
So this is the current state of the board. That's three four different spambots over the course of 24 hours. Fun times, huh :I Attachments:
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Post by Daedalus on Feb 13, 2015 4:16:10 GMT
Once again, I plead: oh greatest and most noble Tom Siddell, PLEASE make someone here (anyone!) an admin so they can delete these threads and ban the spambots when they pop up! There are plenty of people here who are on more often than you, and I swear, we won't delete anything but these spam pages. (I nominate GK Sierra, by the way.)
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Post by KMar on Feb 13, 2015 5:46:35 GMT
Once again, I plead: oh greatest and most noble Tom Siddell, PLEASE make someone here (anyone!) an admin so they can delete these threads and ban the spambots when they pop up! There are plenty of people here who are on more often than you, and I swear, we won't delete anything but these spam pages. (I nominate GK Sierra, by the way.) I second this opinion.
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Post by Daedalus on Feb 13, 2015 9:00:21 GMT
Once again, I plead: oh greatest and most noble Tom Siddell, PLEASE make someone here (anyone!) an admin so they can delete these threads and ban the spambots when they pop up! There are plenty of people here who are on more often than you, and I swear, we won't delete anything but these spam pages. (I nominate GK Sierra, by the way.) Bumping this due to ever-increasing relevance.
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Post by sapientcoffee on Feb 13, 2015 21:50:54 GMT
Well lookie here: Grats, GK!
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Post by Daedalus on Feb 13, 2015 23:17:04 GMT
Well lookie here: Grats, GK! [conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by GK to become a mod!)[/conspiracy]
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Post by Gotolei on Feb 14, 2015 1:38:08 GMT
Well lookie here: Grats, GK! [conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by GK to become a mod!)[/conspiracy] [conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by the bots to make GK actually post more than once or twice a month!)[/conspiracy] In all seriousness, hope this makes the cleanup system more efficient grats E: ok hopefully at least marginally faster
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Post by GK Sierra on Feb 14, 2015 20:49:07 GMT
[conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by GK to become a mod!)[/conspiracy] [conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by the bots to make GK actually post more than once or twice a month!)[/conspiracy] In all seriousness, hope this makes the cleanup system more efficient grats E: ok hopefully at least marginally faster I think I am going to try to set up something with Gmail SMS so when someone reports a post it sends and email and then that email sends a text to my phone so you guys don't have to stare for 10 hours at whatever bizarre product Bangladesh is trying to sell us today.
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Post by Gotolei on Feb 14, 2015 20:53:20 GMT
[conspiracy](Turns out this whole thing was orchestrated by the bots to make GK actually post more than once or twice a month!)[/conspiracy] In all seriousness, hope this makes the cleanup system more efficient grats E: ok hopefully at least marginally faster I think I am going to try to set up something with Gmail SMS so when someone reports a post it sends an email and then that email sends a text to my phone so you guys don't have to stare for 10 hours at whatever bizarre product Bangladesh is trying to sell us today. Awesome, looking forward to a forum not filled with spambot garbage
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Post by GK Sierra on Feb 14, 2015 21:13:12 GMT
Okay, disposable email is up: GunnerkriggSierra@gmail.com
It's hooked up to my carrier's SMS service (XXX-XXX-XXXX@vtext.com) so it's not the bat signal, but I've tested it should only take about 5-10 minutes from the time you press report until I get a text.
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Post by sapientcoffee on Feb 14, 2015 22:33:38 GMT
Might wanna make a sticky about that, I wouldn't think to look in this thread for how to contact a mod.
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Post by Daedalus on Mar 1, 2015 5:12:26 GMT
Does anyone here read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality?
If so, please PM me. We must compare notes! If you've read today's update, you'll know why.
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