Previously, I had been thinking that civilized contest among people should have rules that prevent the use of non-productive strategies. For some definition of productivity, maybe it means don’t hack other peoples’ computers, maybe it means something physical structure or that something has to be manufactured or transformed, maybe it just means don’t damage something someone else constructed within the confines of this contest.

Perhaps that’s too naive? Take Chess for example, built into the game is the requirement to kill pieces to win. What fun is a game that is not confrontational? What fun is a game in which the loser is not destroyed? The need to win seem to, at least at this moment, far outweigh the need for reason and civility.

One wonders if there is another way to frame competitions so that they are still fun and exciting but somehow punishes destruction or interference of opponents productive actions.

Perhaps one important thing to distinguish, for myself, is the difference between symbolic exercise and “real world” contests. In real world contests, winning typically have physical meaning of achievement as a part of the winning process: the battle is won, by the process of my army advancing, and in the process of winning we achieve the original goal of physical control of the space.(and the same sequence for hacker taking control of a computer, the taking of control is physical “real world” acquisition) In civilized humanity, we have added thoughts and declaration of rightful status of the winner(e.g. ownership)–after we win, we acknolwedge related believes: that this was ordained by some higher power, or that we believe we are superior in ownership than former owner, etc. and this civility is not a 20th century thing. Ancient contests are won and written about with similar theme as well. The winner always justifies the status of the winner beyond the mental and mechanical efforts it took to win. AFAIK

What my mind demands of constructive competition is that it be constructive in practice and constructive in that mental narrative that eventually expounds on how rightful and great it was for he winner to have won. I suppose here is a near equivalent of nonnegative contest.

For those who insist on breaking things as a means of innovation, I believe this is the answer. In physical world, as well as in some rigid rule based society, it is impossible to progress without breaking things. And it maybe discovered later that given the means available, destruction is the most efficient way to progress. (And this includes little progress as well). So reallistically we allow for breaking things.

In principle, with the voice that declares us the rightful winner at the end, we would point out that the destruction represents deconstruction of something that is wrong. This is probably why people destroy statues of thought leaders when their thoughts have failed to lead to happiness. This could be the destruction of some mental constructs, or some social norms, etc. something nonreal is destroyed.

So therein is the problem. Is there a way to frame constructive contest, in the real world, that has a natural utilitarian narrative? What is the minimum of such formulation?

I’m listening to the innuargrual address from basement of wholefoods. I’m charging my Nissan Leaf here for free. Protest is keeping me out of the office garage today.

On the bright side, you know he will leave a gaudy mark on the White House, perhaps it will be remodeled and real estate price in DC will rise.
I think one thing that comes to mind is how everyone would feel if Trump is broken by his presidency… yeah yeah whatever strong rich successful time tested media tested reality tested whatever’s. Politics and time breaks everyone… think of it, once rich and proud Trump wealthy in all ways will in a few years be broken and broke… his kids… his family… his kids’ kids, this could end very very ugly of someone. “Some one is going home fired tonight” sound bite comes to mind.

And actually I’d feel guilty and a little sad if that happens… I mean it’d look bad for USA, and my own wellbeing will certainly suffer concurrently.

Finger crossed, malice to none, goodwill to all.
Ps

Hey did anybody notice that it started raining very heavily after Trump was elected? We had a huge draught during Obsma’s presidency and now Trump, a non-environmentalist, is president, it rained a lot this winter after his win. 4-6 FEET in the sierras in the next few days…. I don’t know what to say… the irony

Reading my own blog… I was a little under the weather that night of the company holiday party. I think I didn’t mean that it is the desire of the people for government to be anti-islam anti-muslim. What I meant was that perhaps Obama’s datawhiz should have seen that sentiment and made proactive action to try to promote more conciliatory atmosphere among Americans during his second term… I mean unless he knew and chose not to act… can’t imagine that being true though.

He should have been more real time so that we don’t have so much pant up whatever’s that now bubbles through the trump presidency. 

Now, of course, let me be reconciliatory, president Obama is not superman. And even Superman can only fight hatred with his brutally mighty alien force. Even superman has to drag out dying mother to establish commonality with Bateman! And they had to have the same English name: Martha!

What if superman had a Muslim mother? Ajlal! What if Superman uttered “save Ajlal?” Would Batman not smash his face in even harder instead of asking “who’s Ajlal?”

All that just to say thank you to Mr. president Obama, welcome Mr. president Trump, let’s toast to a bright happy safe 2017, and to the future, where we have fully deployed Democracy RT to production, to the future when it is conceivable that Batman might have had equally like chance of having a mommy named Ajlal, to the future, where America retakes the lead in having the most advanced government in the whole world.

Happy new year, everybody!!

Just saw this, How long before it reads Jira tickets and makes pull requests, with tests, and performs code review and deployed changes?

Maybe I was too optimistic when I argued extreme evil is required to bring AI to threaten human intelligence?

Just saw Star Wars rogue one. The theatre is half empty on its 4th night, and admittedly for good reason.

I wish, as I often do, that I am born in another century or so… when everyone speaks the same language or everyone speaks everyone else’s language. Initially I was upset that Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen, two Chinese actors had all mumbling lines. I cannot understand what they say! And then I realized, so does Diego Luna and Felicity Jones and Forest Whitaker. It’s just a bad mix or else it just wasn’t mixed for an XD theatre. Many times I can’t hear clearly what they’re saying, and Star Wars is one of those movies where dialog mattered.

Btw，Who is the leader of the rebel group to recover the Death Star designs? Was it capt ander or Jyn?

Well, at least Vader is still bad ass, but his hip moved too much! That’s great for dancing but not for a warrior! Old Vader’s belt did not move when he walked. And he struts like a model in this move and not a mean killing machine of the old! Man, I am trying really hard to find something good but it is just such a jarring movie.

Star Wars is not a universe where we explore perspectives of the war, violence, etc… Star Wars had been, for me, a unified universe, with some greatest thing already known. It is a universe where Faith reign supreme. Ethics of violence is NOT a concern here. jedis are violent but are self constraint and prefers civilized solutions. Yes there is our real world. But sadly, Star Wars is not a place to search for solution. Imho

Sigh!

Coming home from 2016 square holiday party. My thoughts are mixed but I find my self drawn to the question of real time democracy. Dorsey put up some Muslim, who declare that America is great, and paid him $XXX in equity in support of his Persuit of the American Dream!

This looming Trump administration anti-immigration and anti-islam principles are indeed troublesome. Alas I feel that the American 4-yr election cycle may have long delayed for popular opinions against immigrations. If Obama responded to these things, maybe we wouldn’t have a president whose big idea is to exclude aliens we want to exclude?!!

What if democracy is real time? What if people’s immediate decisions about matter are cast as vote and taken into consideration real time? What if campaigning is continuous operation necessitated by real time democracy? 

Great idea but how would it be implemented??? Let’s say that government actions are all completely transparent (much like square where staff meeting notes are sent to all company)

To instill democracy, commentary may be made on decisions and factors affecting them. Objections with sufficient support are voted on immediately by the entire population.

For one example, if police violence is perceived as a threat to basic human survival. We may find sudden objection to the social contract where police can st any time stop an individual in their car. With sufficient objection, the matter maybe put to a vote and the law may be changed right away that police can no longer make traffic stops based purely on “gut feeling”.

What’s a world where the law is that one does not have to stop when police siren rings behind you? By law, because popular opinion revoked the law police no longer have the right to operate their weapons. They have no super authority to exceed speed limit… etc.

This is not to pick on the police but merely to illustrate what could possibly happen. We may find that the entire population voted to displace this whole entire social contract. We may find this real time democracy abolished by real time votes. We may find that we abolish very brutal police laws in favor of no laws because everyone have become fearful of the brutal police laws that become in after when anybody commit crimes.

Real time democracy makes all of these possible. Of course social institutions live ACLU may be needed to speak for the few who have no voice. But I can now imagine it working.

For god sakes it’s not like the political offices don’t already use twitter/Facebook/social network to monitor popular opinions in real time. So if the politicians are ready for this, why are the populous kept from exercising their democratic opinion? 

We can handle it, follow our will! Now!

The world is ready for this! 

We have the technology!

We have the wisdom!

We have the idea to do so!

So let’s do this!

Going to write down some random thoughts on a weekend night.
Watched a few episodes of Quantico S2. Searched, as many new fans would do, Priyanka Chopra. There is one matter that I am having trouble resolving which is that she looks so normal and pretty in the cover for Quantico, but her appearances on google image search dressed in Indian costumes are far from attractive to my eye… Like “not leading lady material” comes to mind. Is it a case of genius of Hollywood recruits a real beauty hidden in cinder dust? Is it a case of highly warped sense of aestheticism from watching too much American media? Is it a case of rebirth and transformation? Or is it a case of all of these things ? I don’t know. But she looks completely different, and not Indian mind you, I kept on thinking Latin-American… It’s like a explosion of sexy confined inside a white porcelain Barbie.

On to more pressing matter, why are we all the sudden afraid of AI? Why are the rich and powerful afraid of AI? They are the people who have the resource to even make these things!

Why are we afraid of pervasive monitoring of our communications and physical acts? Why does it annoy me to think that all streets will be recorded some time in the future?

In watching the finale of the Hunger Game movie series I finally get a glimpse of what it feels like: Snow finds them in the sewers because of street cameras. They get attacked in total darkness by these most horrifying genetically modified creatures called Mutts. Much of the human force dies horrifically painful deaths being ripped apart by these gigantic humanoid creatures. The other half runs away scared poopless…

THAT, is what can happen when you put cameras on every street!(and do AI and do genetic engineering)

Pervasive deployment of monitoring technology makes life harder when a malevolent dictator takes charge. Yes technologies can be misused, just like the nuclear bomb. I guess the argument defeating this thought is that hopefully we are working hard to prevent human dictators from coming into power this way.

Why would perfectly sane people write an AI so powerful that it could have any chance of beating another human ? Well, some do it for fun. Some do it for the thrill of tech. probably some will do it out of genuine desire to defeat a person, and for all that he stands? If he is hitler then it would because he is evil. If he is not evil then there should not be enough motivation to create a singularly dangerous atomic bomb.

IMHO, there doesn’t seem to be enough power to create that kind of singularity in AI. I’m sure counter examples for this will flood in soon, but every action must be preceded by an equal and opposite pre-effort. So unless you are aware of your own great evil, you should not fear an all powerful AI whose aim is to take you down.

Do you believe?

Do you have faith?

Do you have fear?

Do you have evil?

Got evil? It makes AI good!

What may still happen is the creation of a hyper competitive earth. Every cent is computed on and optimized. Every action every speech every decision is thoroughly thought through. Every adversary is modeled and simulated. My arriving at BART station will be timed so that I have highest chance of grabbing a seat. My ability to do so may be either due to me buying a more powerful app that’s smarter than your app. Or it may be that my cell phone has faster CPU and was able to perform more simulations and figure out a better door to enter the station at. It maybe that my cellphone has a more powerful antennae that it negotiated my sitting there with that chair on that BART train before your phone event got in range! It might be that  my body was better trained for squeezing past you to the seat because my cloud computer thought of this day and worked the necessary exercises into my workout routine. Maybe because I bought an extra app that found the best way to even get me to the gym.

That’s surely to happen! I get a seat for 20 minutes on BART and you have to stand because I invested in my Computes and you didn’t! I know this is to happen because I sense the all-pervasive pre-effort. It surrounds us like air. It clings to us and penetrates us! It sucks us in just as we suck air in!

You cannot escape it. Because you! must! take public transit! to get to work!
Muhawhahahwhahhahahahaehahwhaew