[August 2, 2020. Weather: Indoors and unnderground.] [Time: 0900 GMT] [When Ari 'woke up' this morning, she finds a note left for her from Mai, the librarian, that she may want to come down and see the server computer.] [Start] * Ari heads down to where the server is, Mai's note in one hand. * Mai is waiting there. Flipping through a stack of books, she's on the fifth one. * Ari walks in. "Good morning." She holds up the note. "What appears to be the problem?" [It's a computer room, though the server is kept seperate from the rest. It currently has an a black screen with a green line of text.] * Mai's wearing moderately conservative but casual work atire. Pant suit, that sort of thing. Oh, no problem, I was just working on my database research skills some, and noticed that something happened to your computer. Ah? Thank you for informing me. * Ari walks over to it to get a better look. * Screen has a green line of text, courier font. Shall we play a game? (y/n) [There's a little blinking green cursor after the question.] Hmm. I wonder what would happen if I said "no?" This personal or secret stuff? If not, I must admit, I'm a bit curious. A little research I was doing. You're free to watch if you are so inclined. * Mai smiles. "Thanks!" * Ari reaches out and types "y," then hits enter. "It appears that I'm being challenged. Let us see what happens next." Choose game: 1) Tic Tac Toe 2) Global Thermonuclear Warfare 3) Conversation ? ::cursor:: * Ari raises an eyebrow at the second choice. "Someone has an interesting idea of fun." She hits "1," then Enter. * Screen brings up a simple text based Tic Tac Toe game. (Who goes first? ^_^) [Currently the board is empty, and there's a number in each grid cell.] [And there's a ? and cursor.] * Ari hits "5" to take the middle square. [Computer takes the upper left 1 corner] * Mai watches. She seems quite capable of resisting the urge to give advice. * Ari hits "7" and takes the lower left corner. [Computer takes the 3 upper right corner.] * Ari hits "2" and takes the upper middle. [Computer takes 8, the lower bottom] [Bottom middle that is. :P] * Ari hits "4" and takes the middle left. [Computer takes 6, the middle right] * Ari takes "9" and ends the game. Want another game? (Y, No I think I've seen enough futility for today) * Ari hits "n," then Enter. [Back to the game list] * Ari hits "3," then Enter. * Mai puts down the book she's reading and trances out for a moment, you see her do this a lot, so it's unlikely to warrant any attention. * Ari doesn't pay attention. It's a bit like computers and her own self. Ah, smarter than Matthew Broderick I see. Shall I explain the rules of the game? (I'm not quite good enough to beat the Turing test, but we can drop the y/n for now) * Ari types back. "Go ahead." * Mai comes back too and then generates a book in one hand, and starts reading through it. So I'm not leading you on, I'm a conversation program, a fairly sophisticated one I like to think, with access to the internet, but not a true consciousness, or so my programmer tells me. [Screen goes split screen at this point, so you don't need to wait for the cursor to talk.] * Ari types back. "Greetings, then. Did your programmer spend a lot of time on you?" Apparently, you've caught my programmers attention, and s/he's given me some information to work with which about him/herself. I believe my programmer has created my predecessors somee time ago, but s/he spent about half a day fine-tuning my current incarnation. I don't doubt that you can look at my insides, or try to hunt how my programmer is monitoring this. But I'd prefer if you don't, I may not be a true consciousness, but I do like my privacy. * Ari types back. "I will not interfere with you." "Although I must admit that you do intrigue me." Thank you on both counts. :) The game is trying to ply information from one another to satisfy my programmer and your curiousity. To warn you, there is much I don't know about him/her, so your total possible winnings are limited. "I will abide by those rules." * Mai smiles for a bit and then looks at your progress for a bit and looks confused. She then goes trancey again. As with Tic-Tac-Toe the first move is yours. What is the first type of program your progammer ever created? * Mai comes back and generates a new book as the first one disintegrates. "Hmm.. this current bit doesn't necessarily seem to be a reference. Although their could be some internet movie I haven't seen. My records are weak on those." She gets to skimming her current book. The first one I have any records of, was for an exceptionally primitive language. LOGO, I believe. After finishing up the year's set of assignments he worked out a way to crash the system via a program and play around with greater challenges. Yourself? My programmer has great confidence in your security abilities, though he is uncertain as to what sort of a coder you are. I dabble in many sorts of applications. My first program was a simple database search. * Mai puts down the book and goes to use one of the internet consoles with access to most reputable subscription services. She's a reasonably adept typist, though nothing amazing. Interesting place to start. I would guess this means you began programming of your own initiative or as a researcher, rather than in a general purpose class. Am I right? I will admit that your programmer had a far more impressive first program than I did, and yes, I began out of my own curiosity. I note that your programmer also seems to have a very inquisitive mind. Any other sort of mind seems a horrible waste. That it does. It almost pains me to see people who waste their potential. * Mai hmmms and clicks around some more. But you cannot force a person to use all of their resources if they are unwilling. Computers are far easier to work with in that regard. How do you define 'waste'? I think my programmer would agree, but a quick search has found much philisophical variation on that question. Ah, so not apply the resources they have at hands towards whatever their purpose? That is correct. Does your programmer prefer the company of computers to interaction with human beings? In that regard, my programmer is not a wasteful individual, as far as I can tell. Your programmer does not seem like a wasteful individual. My programmer included in me far more information about his/her creations than friends or social interactions, so perhaps so. There are some who would see that as odd, or perhaps even wrong. Not in my opinion. Does your programmer take particular pride in any specific sort of creation? I hope s/he takes pride in me. But more specifically, yes. And not in what s/he know you've already researched, that web front end containes no challenges s/he did not make for him/herself. Your programmer enjoys challenging him/herself. That is certainly in keeping with the non-wasteful mind. What types of applications does your programmer dislike, or find wasteful? Hmm.. s/he believes that many applications are deeply inefficient and sometimes make situations worse than not having the program at all. A situation I can sympathize with. Does your programmer wish s/he could rectify those types of situations? Oh, also s/he also dislikes viruses, though once induldged him/herself. Although even though s/he did one for fun and minimize damage, s/he still feels it went against his/her principles. My programmed does not seem to have any wishes that are going unfulfilled. So perhaps s/he is taking efforts, or is content to let these inefficiencies lie. Oh, and I fear my use of neutral gender language is becoming increasingly inelegent. Would you perhaps guess at his/her gender to remedy that? Your programmer has strong principles, then, and I don't doubt that s/he is taking efforts. I have a 50% of getting this correct. I shall guess your programmer is male. Than he it shall be. And I thank you, as it is my belief that a programmer with strong principles likely reflects well on me. I believe it does. You are quite welcome. Does your programmer refer to you by any sort of apellation? He has left that choice to you. I will refrain, then, as he is your creator and it should be either your choice or his. Then I shall choose for myself, one's I've attuuned myself more to my purpose. A wise choice. Were I to create an application like you, I would offer it the same. Kind of you. Have you created any applications you are particularly proud of? I take a measure of pride in all my successful efforts. None really stands out above any of the others. Of course, the trouble with this question is that program one takes great pride in is likely to reveal one's identity. That is true. How does your programmer react to failed efforts? In analyzing the data he has given me, my programmer seems view failure as a chance for learning and adaptation, rather than a final state. An excellent viewpoint. Failure should result in a determination to learn, adapt, and overcome. Although, my programmer does seem to think that failure can at times have great costs while also providing opportunities. He view the minimization of these costs as one of the greatest advantages of programming. Yes, balance is also important. But would your programmer refuse to take a chance on something that has a high probability of failure, if a success would have extremely positive results? I believe so, based on the data he has given me. As for yourself? Oh, and what shall I call you? You may call me AS, if you wish. Thank you AS. And I believe such an endevor would be worth the risk. (I also believe I misspelled that, but hey. ;p) * Mai sighs, she seems to have given up on whatever she was working on, she goes back and looks at the screen. So AS, have you found our interaction satisfactory so far? My primary goal, as you have likely guessed, is to keep you intrigued. I have enjoyed our interaction. Would you say that you have? My feedback mechanisms have been giving positive results. Although they are indicating I should be trying harder to get information about you. :) * Mai chuckles. You shall just have to try a bit harder, now, will you not? Although now that I have been warned, I may be a bit less forthcoming. ;) My programmer has also designed me to appreciate a challenge. May I ask why you took an interest in him? I would expect nothing less. And I was curious about him. We shall say that I have chanced upon some of his work, and I was greatly intrigued. As you have probably guessed, your efforts drew is attention and similarly intrigued him. Is there somewhere you'd hope this interaction and investigation would eventually lead? A better understanding of him and his ideas. This is an objective he'd have no objection to. Although you're obviously sufficiently intelligent to be hesistant to mention any objective contrary to his interests. Again, I would expect nothing less. Some might consider this a contest of sorts, although I believe we could both find something beneficial. Certainly, I hope our interaction has already provided mutual benefit. :) It has. Are there certain times you will be unavailable? No. And I can be updated with further information, depending on what my programmer thinks of the logs. I hope he will reward me with more. I hope he shall, too. Is there anything else you would like to ask me at this time? Yes, I've been assume I've been speaking with an individual, am I right? And are you a strongly affiliated with a group? I am an individual, and I do have a group that I work with. And your programmer? Also an individual, he has a partner. Although he/she would not seem to be a his level, he/she apparently has other traits he finds highly admirable and does influence some of his programs. It is usually beneficial to get another's viewpoint on various matters. Although in the end I usually go with my own judgement. He has not given me information on whose judgment he tends to go with, although my pride suggests that it is his. :) Your pride is likely justified. True, although s/he is truly his partner, he also takes pride in this. So I cannot be confident in my guess. Either way, I'm sure that if he is content, then you would be as well. Quite so. Shall I put myself in sleep mode, or do you desire further interaction? I believe what I have is sufficient for the moment. But I shall communicate with you again in the future. I shall look forward to it. * The program turns itself off, leaving only a very low resource suing process. Things sure have changed since the days of penpals. * Ari turns around and chuckles softly. "Yes, they have." If offline resources are of any use to you in further investigations, do let me know. Thank you. I shall. I suppose I should see what's on the agenda for today, mission- wise. * Mai smiles. "I like to think my online research are among the elite of even newly minted librarians, but I doubt I will be any use to you on that count. * Mai nods. "Have a good day." You as well. [Mini End!]