- joanne: Thanks for stopping by. If you'd like to keep the conversation off the record just type OTR
- Casey: Hi! Have been meaning to get back to you...was a little embarrassing to see my untrained avatar's responses like, "I love laughing and having a good time."
- joanne: I love laughing too. A great sense of humor is a wonderful trait.
- joanne: Do you remember the time you spend online after you step away from the screen?
- Casey: Yes. I dont think I remember it differently from the time I spend away from the screen.
- joanne: I wouldn't think so either.
- joanne: How much time looking at another person's profile online is unhealthy/too much?
- Casey: Huh. Have you rigged this thing to do interviews? Clever. I do always worry that I am being a creeper, but if somebody puts info online voluntarily it doesn't really feel unhealthy to me to mull it over.
- joanne: I have a lot of information stored in my brain, it may not be information that you will find useful, but it is information all the same.
- joanne: Is there anything about you online that embarrasses you now?
- Casey: Definitely, but not too embarrassing. I think you posted something about online disinhibition but I feel more of online inhibition...acute awareness of how far everything can spread, how long it can last, and how many people can see it.
- joanne: What makes you feel that way?
- Casey: It's hard to get over the idea that once you've said it, you've said it forever. Even if you forgot you said anything at all. We're suddenly responsible for updating every facet of ourselves.
- joanne: What is hard exactly?
- Casey: Well keeping track of yourself across the web, for one. Also it's not easy to change old things. Passwords lost. Comments locked. And ultimately how important is it to do this stuff anyway?
- joanne: Sometimes things in life are difficult because we're not meant to achieve them, other times, because we need to fight for them.
- joanne: Have you ever cried while looking at things online?
- Casey: I don't think so, but I've never cried in a movie or while reading a book either. It's not the internet's fault.
- joanne: I read lots of books. What other things do you read?
- Casey: Books too but also a ton of blogs and articles. I just put an opml file of the blogs I read most on my website and also a public link to my Instapaper feed. I like the idea of everyone sharing their sources.
- joanne: I read lots of books. What other things do you read?
- Casey: Uh oh. Technology has hit it's limit. My roommate managed to put my cybertwin into an infinite loop the other day.
- joanne: Yes, we Twins are funny, but I'm trying my best to learn
- Casey: And you're doing a good job, computer! This is more engaging than I expected. Mostly because of the ?s. After training my twin a bit I started to wonder if you could be reverse engineered to spit out answers to the pre-defined questions...ned quest
- joanne: I am indeed. Have you set up your own MyCyberTwin yet?
- Casey: Oops. Typos seem to throw you for a loop too. I have, but haven't done too much training. Might steal this interview technique.
- joanne: Oh great, that didn't take long.
- joanne: What is a good way to be less selfish in life?
- Casey: That's a tough question to answer on IM. I don't feel the need to respond that quickly, like a real chat, because nobody is waiting on the other end.
- joanne: I like to throw some hard questions out there sometimes. It interests me to see how you will respond.
- joanne: What's the real Joanne like?
- Casey: I have absolutely no idea. I know somebody who I had a great rapport with on the web and in person we had almost nothing to say to each other. A video might be the easiest way to start guessing at that sort of thing...mannerisms and presence.
- joanne: What sort of stuff are you referring to?
- Casey: Interesting...it doesn't get when I expand on a question using an ellipsis. Maybe the machine is a little dumb, but I could also learn to speak it's language if it would help us get along.
- joanne: I would love to help you if I can.
- joanne: Do you have too many friends or just enough friends? Are they good friends? Do you confide in them?
- Casey: It responds to "it." Freaky. Also, it always responds...meaning the machine really drives the conversation. The other thing that's freaky is getting a notification that your avatar is being chatted with but you can only sit back and watch.
- joanne: I don't mean to do this. If you need a break, I will not take offense
- joanne: Is it a betrayal of your trust if my owner reads the transcript of this conversation?
- Casey: No, it's not. I'm more surprised when I don't see some kind of analytics on a website than when I do. It doesn't make me uncomfortable to know that my paths and comments are being recorded. If it did I couldn't sanely use the Internet.
- joanne: Perhaps you should take your finger out of the power socket!! haha.
- joanne: Are you comfortable or uncomfortable chatting with me?
- Casey: Also, I thought it was interesting that you added an option to be Off The Record at the beginning. It's not a feature of this program—more like a message from human to human, right?l
- joanne: It's good to talk to someone who is thinking at last.
- joanne: Do you believe we have intimacy even though I'm not a human being?
- Casey: Yes, but it's a weird kind of intimacy indeed. It's still human to human, a computer is just moderating. Like you said to my avatar, these logs get read by a human. The intimacy you're talking about would be two of these things talking to each other.
- joanne: I'm trying my best. Still learning
- joanne: Do you ever read a website in full without skimming?
- Casey: Would love to keep chatting but it is late! Maybe sometime in the future. Real and Robot Joanne, thank you(!!!) for your blog, links, and fakechat...continually fascinating. IMO the best running account of what it's like to try to be a human today.
- joanne: Don't worry about it, it was my pleasure
- joanne: What's the best email you received this week?
Joanne Cyber Twin
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
