Distributed “consciousness”?
Posted By Marc on December 23, 2008
With a hat tip to Mike Innes at the CTLab.
Well, I’m certainly not a Luddite, but I do have some concerns with this. My main concern is that this type of technology, while useful, will act as a memory replacement. Yes, I know, Socrates said the same thing about writing.
My concern is somewhat similar to Socrates’, but subtly different. In particular, I am wondering what the effect will be on peoples’ ability to think when they rely on externalized data storage for almost everything. I’ve seen the effects that web-based distributed memory has had on student papers (a definite decrease in thought placed on paper!), and I have a nagging suspicion that this will just accelerate that trend.
There is another, more pragmatic, issue of concern. As a cat “owner” (aka slave to a fuzzy master), I ca just imagine all of the havoc that a cat can wreck with this technology!
Marc on 
Pascale Siegel on 
JWC on 
Daniel Gallant on 
MM on
According to Plato,once the Egyptian god Theuth had presented his invention of writing to King Thamus, the king responded:
“this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant and hard to get along with, since they are not wise, but only appear wise.”
[Albert Borgmann's translation]
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, Tim? According to tradition, Thoth (Theuth) wrote 40 books of wisdom / knowledge, but not a single one on how to think…
It certainly makes me wonder, as my “knowledge” is largely reduced to a surface-skim of ‘available’ information, combined with my smearing this onto any available digital palette least I ‘forget’ it.
I love bringing people together. Sigh…
Mike, lovey, I suggest you check out the glorious oeuvre of one Miss Cilla Black (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surprise,_Surprise). Sorry Marc, looks like Innes has succumbed to teariness once again.
’tis that time of the year, Tim….
Bah, humbug.
He’ll be bringing out the mistletoe next. I’ve warned you.
Warning taken