From: Mike & Donna Deering (deering9@mchsi.com)
Date: Tue Aug 13 2002 - 09:29:37 MDT
Eliezer writes:
> "I really hate to do this and I can't think of any good way to put it,
> but: It is my judgement as moderator that Mike Deering's posts are not
> meeting SL4 standards. Mike Deering is welcome to reply to this thread,
> but I would like to ask him to stop posting otherwise."
Sorry about the delay in responding, I've been busy, but then haven't we all? By the way, you misspelled 'judgment'. As regards your judgment of my posts you are basically correct. My posts have strayed into areas more philosophically speculative than is allowed by your highly restrictive definition of acceptability. Not being one of your preferred posters, for example B.G. or S.A. I have not enjoyed the leniency thus extended, and have always felt a little defensive with regard to your standards. I have to say I was a bit surprised by the suddenness of my status change. Not that there hadn't been warnings, there had, and understanding that continual correction is counter productive, but I had assumed that the function of a moderator was more akin to a sheepdog herding the outlying members than a sniper picking off the fringe.
As I expect this to be my last post, I would like to take this opportunity to issue a call to arms, not guns, literal arms, hands, fingers, brains, what have you. I have been studying the Singularity for a few years now and I realize I could spend the rest of my life studying but that's not what I want. I'm ready to do something. But what? If I had money I'd send it to Eliezer's organization, but I don't. If I had the formal qualifications I'd start a company like Ben's, zero there too. If I were free from all familial responsibility I would dedicate my life to the Singularity like Eliezer, alas, I am strictly part time. And in keeping with Eliezer's admonition to avoid modesty, I have an IQ higher than Einstein's but find great difficulty in maintaining motivation in isolation, I don't work well alone. So I have decided to form a group for part time, amateur, volunteer singularitons. I have a vision of all different kinds of people working together to accomplish what none of them could do alone. You've heard of stone soup? Housewives, automechanics, shoe salesmen, students, dreamers, teachers, construction workers, cashiers, accountants, bankers, movie stars, politicians (in no particular order) unite and pool your small efforts and abilities and we will accomplish great things. Ask not what the Singularity can do for you, but rather, what you can do for the Singularity. There is no doubt that the Singularity is coming, but what kind of Singularity will it be, what kind do you want? If you want to have a say in your future you've got to get up off your butts and do something. And don't think that you have nothing to contribute. If you are an ace programmer that can relocate to Atlanta and work for subsistence join Eliezer, if you're just learning a little html or if you can research subjects on the net in your spare time, or if you are good at organizing people, or if you want to be a list moderator, join me, I have things for you to do. In my vision I see teams for seedai, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, Singularity fiction, Singularity educational resources, scientific futurism, political action, policy and guidelines. I'm not looking to be a guru or a dictator over this group, I need partners to help me organize and make decisions. I need someone to come up with a name for the group. Join a team or lead a team, it's your choice. Does the world really need another Singularity organization? The ones I see out there don't seem to be doing anything except talking, it's time for action. What's the difference between a team and a committee? A committee argues, a team cooperates, a committee discusses, a team accomplishes, a committee has a chairman, a team has a coach and a captain, in a committee every member votes, in a team every player has a position to play. If you are ready to stop merely talking about the Singularity and do something about it, join me, I can't do it alone. I've already laid out a preliminary design for a seedai at this address http://free.hostdepartment.com/mike8171/ it still needs a lot of work, maybe you can help. I've explored using some free nanotechnology design software off the web, PyMOL and RasMol, if you like atoms maybe you could help design the first assembler. If you want to research ribosomal rna variations between species and it's application to the protein folding problem I could use you. If you can make web pages or graphic diagrams and charts for web pages I can really use you. Anyone interested in having a voice in the shape of the coming Singularity can contact me at deering9@mchsi.com
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to compete with the SIAI or Eliezer. I have the highest regard for the SIAI and for Eliezer Yudkowsky. If you have money to send, don't send it to me, send it to them. If you have highly specialized and developed skills that they need, join them, if not, join me. I think Eliezer is a wonderful person, although I have to admit, I still have suspicions that he may be the antichrist. Well, not literally the antichrist, I don't believe in all that religious mumbo jumbo. But I do see a significant risk in Singularity level powers concentrated in the hands of one man may make an antichrist like scenario tempting, even plausible.
That said, I'm signing off. This is the last post you will get from Mike Deering on SL4.
Mike Deering.
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