microserfs

5)Karla's statement is actually very easily deciphered. For years, theologists have been debating how Artificial Intelligence should be implemented. You come across so many moral questions when applying AI to machinery. On one hand, AI in video games can cause a greater sale, if only for the difficulty level. On the other, we wouldn't want to apply AI to a judge and jury system. Computers can only comprehend numbers so we must rely on the human brain for the actual AI systems. How scary would it be to face a judge with no sympathy or remorse; someone with absolutely no flexibility in their rules? The AI itself isn’t really the problem, however, it’s the programmers responses to the problems presented that we should truly fear. Now if we take this mentality and add it to the vast database of information hidden in the Internet we are faced with a near cataclysmic scenario. Susan stated a similar situation in her reference to the Borg and the “Village of the Damned” children. An ever evolving “entity” with access to our deepest secrets and no comprehension of human emotions. While the idea of artificial life is highly appealing to me I shake at the applications man would use this for. I like living in a world of science fact with the leaps and bounds we are making progress, but soon we may live in that world of science fiction. All those episodes of Twilight Zone I laughed at won’t appear so ridiculous. For the moment though we should be safe. Man may be faulted in many areas, except in testing and re-testing their new creations. As long as we use this technology with respect and responsibility, we may yet see a world of near instantaneous information.

4)Whenever you start a hobby or career that is perfect for you, you will always remember what got you started in that field. Whether it be an athletes first baseball or a racer’s first go cart you will never forget. Well, in this situation, I believe it was that first exploration of My Computer. I myself find it to be at the top of my all time favorite buttons list. It gives you access to every nook and cranny of your computer. This has to be his way of remembering that time. There is no physical trophy of that moment, so what better way to remember it than making a hymn to your inspiration for life? Even the way it’s constructed shows the authors enthusiasm. He had to learn and then repeat every line of binary to match up with his desired result. This takes a kind of dedication that you would only find with a die hard enthusiast of the subject. While I may be incorrect in my assumptions, because no one can truly know what was in the authors mind, it seems unlikely this was a “just for fun moment” in his life. This appears to be a genuine homage to something that is special to the author. The only other possibility is that it is a joke. Seeing as how I am unable to decipher the code I can only guess. In any case ,this is definitely a crucial piece to analyzing Douglas Coupland’s mind.

3) Have you ever been apart of something so profound, in your opinion, that it opened a new world for you? In Microserfs, the characters have been opened up to this event and unfortunately for some it ends up consuming them. If you look at a group of people who are introduced to a new comer you will find a very common pattern. The group and individual will start to absorb each others mannerisms. This is never more true than in the technology world. You begin to see computer code and problems everywhere in your life. Soon code becomes nothing less than it’s own language. This is shown in the authors comparison of Microserfs and Cyberlords. How many people can actually claim to know the difference? Look no further than any average teenager who is constantly involved in the computer community without even knowing it. I personally can’t count how many times I hear “LOL” from some kid on the street. At first, the only reaction I could give was a raised eyebrow. Now, I can not only reply but start my own conversations using this language. Now, I can’t help bringing over this language to a new group of people. More than anything else I believe it is a rite of passage. In many of the higher “geekier” circles the more “jargon” you know the higher your status. Much the same way sports fans trade secret information about their favorite teams players. All in all, it’s a matter of who you relate to and who your friends are. If you disagree try talking to a die hard fan of something you have no interest in.