[ExI] Destructive uploading.

[Kelly Anderson]

On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 2:06 PM, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 8:43 PM, Kelly Anderson  wrote:
> <snip>
>> I like to think of it as multiple threads of execution, perhaps even
>> distributed to different physical computers. When the threads are
>> merged later, you just have new memory of having done two different
>> things yesterday. It would be weird at first, but I think we could get
>> use to remembering two yesterdays, or twenty. It would probably be
>> perceived initially as yesterday, and the day before yesterday....
>> which would be confusing, but I think we could adapt to that pretty
>> quickly. If the new me looks like the old me, or is in VR only, then I
>> think others would adapt to that as well, but there would still be a
>> unique "real" you in the perception of most people.
>>
>
>
> What you are describing will probably be a very temporary phenomenon.
> When uploading and merging becomes possible, we and our environment
> will be changing rapidly.
>
> I suspect that merging multiple versions will quickly produce a
> hive-mind type of entity. Economies of scale, etc. Why stick with
> merging two versions when you are competing with entities with
> thousands or millions of merged IDs?
>
>  If you do choose to remain alone, you will quickly be swamped by the
> more powerful Minds.

Bill, that may be the case, but the psyche of the American as an
individual may be hard to overcome by those of my generation and
before. Perhaps the youngsters will be more willing to participate in
the hive mind. After all, they are already sharing things on Facebook
that would have mortified me.

How do you keep your individuality if you're in a hive mind? How can
you even say that you continue to exist, except as some kind of
subroutine... I'm certainly not ready at this point to sign up for the
hive mind, unless it's a hive consisting of copies of my own mind...
then I'm willing to go for it, I think.

-Kelly