Cybernetcs and the Human Element

Do cybernetics leave out the human element?

Simple answer, yes. Of course they do where’s the humanity in becoming a robot? Instead of relying on instincts (no matter how rarely we use them) and emotions we would base all decisions and actions on what the little computer in our brains thinks is best – and who’s to say it would be the most ethical or morally correct answer?

Sure we’d probably be better at reading, writing and Math’s but where’s the accomplishment in it? Where’s the good feeling you get when you know you’ve worked hard on a problem and overcome it with your own merits? There would be none of that because we’d practically be born with the knowledge.

Plus who’s to say when it’s gone to far? What will happen when the human element is no longer deemed necessary? Having a computer for a brain is one thing but to be a living Ai system is something else entirely – quite frankly I think both options suck. According to Norbert Weiner “It is thus advantageous, as far as possible, to remove the human element from any elaborate chain of computation…” (Weiner, N, 1948 pg. 118). If that’s the case will we even have the ability to hold human values? Will there even be such a thing as family and friends if cybernetics become a part of us and we lose the one thing that makes us human?

I like knowing that I have a choice in things, I like the good feeling I get when I accomplish something awesome, best of all I love the feeling of freedom and relief I get when I finish my assignments for Uni. The thought that we’d force a type of evolution on ourselves for the sake of it seems foolish. Advancement like glasses, cars and computers are great, but I’d prefer it if they weren’t a part of me. 

Further Reading

Weiner, N, 1948, Cybernetics or control and communication in the animal and the machine, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA - http://books.google.com.au/books?id=NnM-uISyywAC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=cybernetics+where%27s+the+human+element&source=bl&ots=xfLs6FfgHm&sig=a0XJDTH83PD8ZzpiTnUhnyd6Sa4&hl=en&ei=NllTTr_UCO2fmQXjuontDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&sqi=2&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Did You Know???

Do you know what Facebook does with all the information you provided them? What you’re actually allowed to post? What about their guarantees of privacy? Well I did some research into it (note that this was not an act of free will) and actually read the Terms of Service for Facebook. While it’s not a particularly engaging piece of writing, it did shed some light into the realities of the sight.

Facebook allows most things on their sight, most of you would already know that this includes videos, blog posts, comments, pictures, games and so on. But one thing Facebook seems quite adamant against is any form of bullying, threatening, product promotion or election campaigning.

This leads into what Facebook is technically allowed to do with any of the content on your page. They scan the comments that users leave so if they should find you violating any of the no-no’s mentioned above they have the right to disclose that offending article and your details to the appropriate authorities. It’d be something to watch out for if you tend to be a jerk to people on the sight.

Finally, guarantees does Facebook make regarding your privacy? Basically, none. The Terms of Service clearly states that while you are required to give some personal information to access the site, Facebook can make no solid guarantees that your details will be secure from the eyes of others. They do offer privacy settings but warn that no system is full proof and - “The U.S. Department of State on Facebook cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this Section” (taken directly from the Terms of Service of Facebook.)

Internet Relay Chat, what the hell is it?

IRC or Instant Relay Chat was the original versions of MSN. It was a feature on Windows that used the idea of ‘real-time’ chat. It was most commonly used in the 1990’s but its creation began in 1988 when it was written by Jarkko Oikarinen from Finland (Internet Relay Chat History, 2011). It was used as a means to communicate and work with others over the computer. Ideally, it was the cheaper method of communicating with people out of the country. To use the system you have to download a ‘client’ program which would then connect you to a server in the IRC network which would then patch you through to others on the same server (mIRC co, 1995-2011). IRC has chat rooms are called channels. You can join a specific ‘channel’, which sounds like they would have been used a bit like a forum.

I can’t seem to find a way to tell the number of people on IRC when it was at its peak, mostly because people aren’t required to create an account to use the server. I did, however, find that there were 60 925 users on the servers today which is...19.08.2011, (IRC Networks – top 100, 1998-2011). Honestly IRC faded into the background because of its hacker problem (apparently they like to attack it for some reason) and its dodgy users. Also who would want to use it when we have the fast, at our finger-tips MSN? In a way though it probably paved the way for our once beloved MSN, although, that too, probably paved the way for Facebook chats. 

http://www.livinginternet.com/r/ri_irc.htm, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) History, 1996-2011, William Stewart

http://www.mirc.com.au/about.html, About mIRC, 1995-2011

http://irc.netsplit.de/networks/top100.php, 1998-2011.

Zortero

Zortero is an application for a Firefox browser and as a lovely little added bonus, it's free ^_^. This app is a research tool that holds and organises the data you've found and automatically cites it like a bibliography - pretty handy for anyone doing research assignments. It's not restricted to written sources like catalogues or journals, Zortero has the ability to gather and cite information on a number of different databases, e.g. Youtube or Amazon.

Another little trick it has is to store your library, or collected data, online so it can be shared with other users of the app. So if you find a piece of info on another users account that collaborates with your own research, you can use it and automatically have collected an extra source.^_^

Blogging...again

The lecture on Friday completely went over my head and I have to say I was bored out of my mind because of it, but that's not why I'm writing, no, I'm here to answer the tutorial questions so onwards we go!

I only communicate with my friends and family by phone, and by that I mean my mobile, or good ole fashion face-to-face talking. I think the only person I ever really talk to via email is my dad. Anyway I find that texting is the most common form of conversing with those I love, or like - or are forced to put up with. Why? Simple, I can rarely get through to people when I call, so I find that if I leave a message (one that doesn't cost money to check) then I usually get a reply sometime that week, or day if I'm lucky.

I rarely, if ever, use my facebook account. People usually have to call or text me just to tell me to check something on there, this is simply because I have no interest in keeping tabs on other people. Actually, I only have it to keep in touch with family that I never communicate with - useful huh?

But back to the phone, like most people (I assume) I started using a mobile in high school. I can't remember if I got one because my parents thought I needed one or if it was because all my friends had one and I successfully annoyed my my mother into submission. I look back now and wonder why it was so bloody important when I rarely had the money to buy credit - by default I barely used the thing.

I find that privacy is constantly on the forfront of my mind when I'm surfing the net especially if I'm asked question, it just makes me wonder if these 'people' are really using it for the reasons that they claim they are. I suppose it could just be a personal trait and I just don't feel the need to spill my thoughts and every action on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Who would want to know what I did or didn't eat that morning or what I got up to the day before? Better yet, who's lonely and isolated enough to care? Stalkers I suppose - mass murdering sickos maybe, hell even advertisement joints that throw annoying, repetitive, adds at poor unsuspecting facebookers  - anyway my point is that your privacy can be so easily compromised by revealing tiny details about your life (routine, frequent hang outs, local area codes), if someone's paying enough attention to you it wouldn't be that hard to track you down. A lot of people are...silly (I'm putting that nicely) with the way they throw their details around.

Needless to say I have no friends from the net that I've never met before and I'd like to keep it that way, call me old fashioned but I like to know my friends are real people and not desperate creeps that scream and melt at the first sight of sunlight. If I meet people face-to-face I can at least get a feel for them and make my judgement on who they actually are - not the persona they use when they use the net to 'talk' to me. The friends (the ones I actually like talking to) I have on facebook are people I know or have actually met. I suppose I'm wary but I trust my instincts and I can't read someone as well through a program or app.

So I've done my time for now, be seein' you'll next time

~*Cass*~

Videos

Playing with this video thing is giving me a headache - why can't it just do what i want?!?!? lol