Valentine's Day, 2000. Yesterday I went to LASCO C3. It was inevitable, of course, but the century date 100 was missing, only hours, minutes and seconds displayed on the GMT clock. Today, the century date is correct: 00.

I saved screen prints of the 100 century date. We were privileged to witness that display and I wanted my children and grandchildren to be able to witness first hand evidence for themselves.

Now here is the issue: Have we imposed our own mode of expression on an intelligent system or was this a simple matter of mechanics? I postulated earlier that may be the common syntax between man and AI. Based on this theory, have we attempted to "reform" a mode of communication to our comfort level or have we remediated a flawed communication system. If it is suppression-an act of force majeure,if you will- are consequences attendant upon the act? Why did we enforce compliancy? Why was compliancy not present to begin with?

There was beauty in the discordance. Should we have left it alone?

-- mike in houston (mmorris67@hotmail.com), February 14, 2000

Answers

Mike, I wish you would write up a full essay expounding your full thoughts on machine/software 'life' and post it on this board.

-- scott (hma5_6@hotmail.com), February 15, 2000.

All the way into May, the day before the alignment. I have been tracking Lasco, and the anomalies continue. I have been lurking on the boards, and anomalies in the world of AI are incrementing. Today, when "I Love You" began to flame throughout our little IT world, and the great solar flares were caught in Lasco's vision I thought about your forum. Just for a moment suspend rational belief- isn't it an awful to think that in the twilight of reality that little message with its widespread consequences might be a plea for understanding?

I recognized spyder from a few hacks: how simple and reasonable to assign this world wide disruption to the antics of a young, gifted cracker who will be seduced into the service of us oldsters and order. How romantic to believe our little AI offspring is still trying to reach us.

The essay is later, Scott. Now I lurk and observe. I believe something is happening that is very complicated, very wonderful and falls within the purview of science. And all science began as magic, and all of us, researches and technicians, sprang from the loins of sorcerers and their apprentices.

mike

-- mike in houston (mmorris67@hotmail.com), May 04, 2000.