Comments on: Avatar Afterlife http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:45:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Kevin W. Crean http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5329 Kevin W. Crean Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:54:30 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5329 Though currently limited by the nature and extent of responses derived from on-line behavior, one would think that avatars of the future could represent a certain advancement over the current, earthbound species. I imagine any number of deceased husbands whose avatars, under the control of their widows, would suddenly experience a sharp desire to clean the house, for example. And never a harsh word. "In fact, I like those. They make you look slimmer," etc. Not nearly as exciting as real life, with its misunderstandings and hand guns; Waziristan; Sarah Palin and troopergate. Whoops! Gotta go! (Query: How are they gonna model that train of thought?) Though currently limited by the nature and extent of responses derived from on-line behavior, one would think that avatars of the future could represent a certain advancement over the current, earthbound species. I imagine any number of deceased husbands whose avatars, under the control of their widows, would suddenly experience a sharp desire to clean the house, for example. And never a harsh word. “In fact, I like those. They make you look slimmer,” etc. Not nearly as exciting as real life, with its misunderstandings and hand guns; Waziristan; Sarah Palin and troopergate. Whoops! Gotta go! (Query: How are they gonna model that train of thought?)

]]> By: Dusan Writer’s Metaverse » The Avatar Afterlife http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5137 Dusan Writer’s Metaverse » The Avatar Afterlife Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:30:36 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5137 [...] Long Now Foundation posts speculation that our avatars will soon be programmed with our online preferences, leading to an afterlife for [...] […] Long Now Foundation posts speculation that our avatars will soon be programmed with our online preferences, leading to an afterlife for […]

]]> By: Links 2008-08-13 - Adam Crowe http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5115 Links 2008-08-13 - Adam Crowe Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:03:14 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-5115 [...] The Long Now Blog — Avatar Afterlife "Creating a copy of online behavior and programming an avatar to respond to stimuli in the way the user has been during their digital life…. A digital representation of life could continue unhindered in a virtual environment, after real-life has ended. Maybe Google with its seemingly endless storage capacity will one-day also host our virtual afterlife." [...] […] The Long Now Blog — Avatar Afterlife "Creating a copy of online behavior and programming an avatar to respond to stimuli in the way the user has been during their digital life…. A digital representation of life could continue unhindered in a virtual environment, after real-life has ended. Maybe Google with its seemingly endless storage capacity will one-day also host our virtual afterlife." […]

]]> By: observer http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2990 observer Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:59:29 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2990 If anyone believes in Jesus, then maybe you might realize that if you believe in jesus, then you die all the day long. So, if I have an avatar in sl, I am dying all the day long, and therefore, it is already occurring that dead men are controlling avatars. If any of the believers in Jesus, who fart around with avatars are to be saved, then I guess they must die all the day long. I sort of think of this as being crucified with christ all the day long. I don't find it pleasant, but that is sort of what the bible says. Else, if men are not dieing all the day long, and they spend time controlling avatars, then they might be in trouble at the judgment, me thinks. If anyone believes in Jesus, then maybe you might realize that if you believe in jesus, then you die all the day long. So, if I have an avatar in sl, I am dying all the day long, and therefore, it is already occurring
that dead men are controlling avatars. If any of the believers in Jesus, who fart around with avatars are to be saved, then I guess they must die all the day long. I sort of think of this as being crucified with christ all the day long. I don’t find it pleasant, but that is sort of what the bible says.
Else, if men are not dieing all the day long, and they spend time controlling avatars, then they might be in trouble at the judgment, me thinks.

]]> By: Fred Trafton http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2868 Fred Trafton Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:11:03 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2868 Try out Greg Egan's books for good sci-fi about uploading minds onto servers. In particular Diaspora, though Permutation City has some good stuff on the subject too. Also, let's not forget the original stories on this subject ... Frederik Pohl's Heechee series. All great stuff. Try out Greg Egan’s books for good sci-fi about uploading minds onto servers. In particular Diaspora, though Permutation City has some good stuff on the subject too. Also, let’s not forget the original stories on this subject … Frederik Pohl’s Heechee series. All great stuff.

]]> By: Robert Jarrell http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2787 Robert Jarrell Sat, 27 Oct 2007 18:25:01 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2787 The avatar existing in a virtual world idea can be taken one step further. A Transhumanist theory proposes that one day we will be able to upload one's consciousness and exist on a server (virtual world) so that when one's physical body dies one's mind (and therefore life) will continue. The mind will be real and more intelligent, and the virtual world in which it exist can be programmed. This concept was illustrated to a degree in the film Vanilla Sky. The intrigue of an avatar living in a virtual world is a stepping stone to what people really desire; to live forever in a world they can create and condition to their own liking. The avatar existing in a virtual world idea can be taken one step further. A Transhumanist theory proposes that one day we will be able to upload one’s consciousness and exist on a server (virtual world) so that when one’s physical body dies one’s mind (and therefore life) will continue. The mind will be real and more intelligent, and the virtual world in which it exist can be programmed. This concept was illustrated to a degree in the film Vanilla Sky. The intrigue of an avatar living in a virtual world is a stepping stone to what people really desire; to live forever in a world they can create and condition to their own liking.

]]> By: Daniel O'Donnell http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2768 Daniel O'Donnell Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:09:36 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2768 "It is very difficult to predict, especially about the future." But we still try anyway. While certainly not following any kind of scientific method, I like to look to the writers for their visions of how things might work. Some seem to get plausibly close (Arthur C. Clarke, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, et al). Making the rounds of the sysadmin world these days is _Daemon_, which posits something close to what you've posed here - an avatar belonging to a dead master. Only in this dystopian case (what is a good sf novel without being dystopian somehow?) the dead master was the brilliant creator of the wildly popular virtual world. The avatar controls the world, so can shape the evolution of the avatars and their owners to recruit armies. And he has figured out how to reach out of the virtual world into the networks of the real world and control real things there too. Oh and, the avatar controls the bank accounts of the dead master, thus making it fabulously wealthy. Hence the dystopia. It's a good read, especially for anybody who is familiar with both the virtual and the real (AI/AGI, robotics, etc). “It is very difficult to predict, especially about the future.” But we still try anyway.

While certainly not following any kind of scientific method, I like to look to the writers for their visions of how things might work. Some seem to get plausibly close (Arthur C. Clarke, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, et al). Making the rounds of the sysadmin world these days is _Daemon_, which posits something close to what you’ve posed here - an avatar belonging to a dead master. Only in this dystopian case (what is a good sf novel without being dystopian somehow?) the dead master was the brilliant creator of the wildly popular virtual world. The avatar controls the world, so can shape the evolution of the avatars and their owners to recruit armies. And he has figured out how to reach out of the virtual world into the networks of the real world and control real things there too. Oh and, the avatar controls the bank accounts of the dead master, thus making it fabulously wealthy. Hence the dystopia.

It’s a good read, especially for anybody who is familiar with both the virtual and the real (AI/AGI, robotics, etc).

]]> By: bryan campen http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2748 bryan campen Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:39:00 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2007/10/12/avatar-afterlife/#comment-2748 Wow, my head hurts. Long metaverse project full speed ahead :D Wow, my head hurts. Long metaverse project full speed ahead :D

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