From: arctic fox (arctic.fox@ukgateway.net)
Date: Tue Mar 20 2001 - 14:48:34 MST
Time for me to delurk as well :) I'll get round to doing a join post soon.
I know that us newbies may cover old ground and might not be a bit naive to
contribute to some of the high level discussions but there needs to be a
forum for people new to the singularity ideas to discuss matters. I
understand that lurking on the mailing lists and reading recommended books
and web articles helps but the best way to learn is by discussing and
debating key ideas.
Think about a university: it exists to support researchers to produce
cutting edge research and also to teach students so that they may one day
become the academics. I remember being a biochemistry fresher - most of the
topics in the first term related to 1940's research (when biochemistry as
an independent discipline was founded) then built on this and we got up to
the current papers by the 2nd year. I know it must have been boring for the
tutors but everyone has to start by covering old ground to prevent old
mistakes being made again.
How about a list for letting newcomers cut their teeth on before moving
onto this one? We are dealing with some very advanced philosophy at times
(respect to you all) and the only way to get to this level is with some
practice using common points that are frequently made. If all curious
newcomers are treated with a "been there done that" attitude by the more
experienced members is the community ever to grow? Especially when there is
already vocal objection to extropian ideas (thankfully shock level 4 is a
level too high for them to be shocked by it yet).
Apologies for the rant - I can't exactly ask the girl behind the checkout
in the supermarket for her views on the SysOp and methods of neural
uploading. Where else is there to go?
Paul
At 20:05 20/03/01, you wrote:
>Chris Cooper wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> > I'm breaking out of lurk mode at last,please be gentle.I'm always
> > fascinated by the unexpected directions these discussions take,but I'd
> > like to start by merely pointing out one interesting tangent.
>
> > > Is the
> > > Singularity the current,technology-friendly version of the same world
> > > ending/transforming myths that are at the heart of all the world's
> > > religions?
>
>No. Do you have any other questions?
>
>I realize that this is an "interesting tangent", and that you haven't
>lived through the endless dreary discussions on the Extropians list as I
>have, and that there are probably some people on the list who haven't yet
>been transhumanists long enough to be as heartily sick of this topic as I
>am, so I'm not following my natural inclinations, which are to censor this
>outright. You don't know, they don't know, I shouldn't snap at anyone;
>fine, I accept that. It's even possible that there are a few people on
>the list who, not knowing better, would take a KillThread as a confession
>of Sacred Cowdom.
> > At 4:38 PM -0500 3/15/01, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
>Gordon, we discussed this in the "Beyond evolution" thread, and we heard
>your own opinions in the "Learning to be evil" thread. I don't think we
>need to reopen the discussion at this point.
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