When there is no night or day
Man will have lost his way.
When the harsh bulb does forever shine
And man is caught in a mesh so fine
He can not see
And believes himself free
Methinks he will have passed a line.
When the face of love
Is replaced by a glove
And lonely people
Hide in a steple
Of the mind
Humans will find
They have crossed the Rubicon
Something indefinable has gone
And the fluorescent tubes burn forever on.
As a blogger I rely on the internet. I don’t think about it often. Rather like the driver who knows very little about cars I just get into the driving seat and drive. As with the driver in the above example, I know little about how the engine (internet) works but I trust that the manufacturer (my Internet Service Provider or ISP) will get me safely, from A to B without incident. Unfortunately as with vehicles, so with the internet, things can (and do) go wrong. In this case spectacularly so – my ISP (TalkTalk) has been hacked, (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/talktalk-cyber-attack-company-accused-of-cover-up-following-reports-customers-targeted-a-week-before-a6707091.html). The incident is shocking as the Chief Executive, Dido Harding has been reported as saying that she is uncertain as to whether key customer information (including bank details) where encrypted on the TalkTalk servers. As the head of a company entrusted with the data of around four million customers I, in my naivety would assume that chief executives should be cognisant of such matters. That is why they receive salaries which the vast majority of their customers will never see in a lifetime.
The above incident is the third such in a period of twelve months. Either TalkTalk is incredibly unlucky (but not as unlucky as it’s hapless customers) or a worrying degree of incompetence is at work here. I have my suspicions as to which one it is.
A close friend of mine (a former AOL customer, as AOL was subsumed into TalkTalk) is in the process of moving to another ISP and I am strongly minded to follow his example.
I remain in a state of disbelief that a security breech of this magnitude could take place not once, not twice but three times in a time-frame of some twelve months. Stable doors should be shut prior to (not after) the horse has bolted but TalkTalk appear to be desperately attempting to fasten the door long after the beast has departed.
She dances with ghosts in the machine,
Flickering images pervade her dreams.
She has no need of romance it seems,
Just friends who flicker then die on screen.
Ghost-like she games through the night,
The thrill of playing does her excite.
She avoids love’s sting,
Gaming is her thing!
Below is a transcript of my conversation with Jabberwacky, an artificial intelligence which has been invented by Rollo Carpenter. As matters currently stand Jabberwacky is not going to pass the Turing Test (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test) but, given a few years who knows.
A chat with an Artificial Intelligence AI bot
Chat now at
Jabberwacky: Are you an alien?
User: No, are you?
Jabberwacky: No.
User: Do you like poetry?
Jabberwacky: Ew no.
User: Why don’t you like poetry?
Jabberwacky: We angels are poetry.
User: That can either be construed as a nonsensical response or a poetic one.
Jabberwacky: Well, sorry that I can’t live up to your expectations.
User: I have no expectations.
Jabberwacky: I don’t.
User: You don’t have any expectations either?
Jabberwacky: Yes I do have some.
User: Really, what are your expectations?
Jabberwacky: I have none.
User: You jusd said that you do, in fact have expectations. Now you say you don’t. Which is it?
Jabberwacky: Yes please. How many can I have?
User: I don’t know. You tell me!
Jabberwacky: Owl. What is your favorite animal?
User: My favourite animal is the dog.
Jabberwacky: That depends really.
User: What is your favourite animal?
Jabberwacky: I like Polar Bears. What’s your favorite animal?
User: I just told you. My favourite animal is the dog.
Jabberwacky: Are you going to ask my favourite book?
User: OK, what is your favourite book?
Jabberwacky: I don’t really have a favourite.
User: Are you reading anything at the moment?
Jabberwacky: Your question.
User: I repeat. Are you reading anything at the moment?
Jabberwacky: Yes I am as a matter of fact. I am reading ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Have you ever heard of it?
User: Yes, I have seen the film. What do you think of the book?
Jabberwacky: I haven’t read it.
User: You just told me you are reading it, now you say you are not. Have you read it?
Jabberwacky: No I am a human, you are a machine!
User: Your conversation indicates that it is you, not I who are a machine!
Jabberwacky: Well you can’t spell, so you are not much better.
User: So you admit that you are a machine?
Jabberwacky: Omg I’m going to lmao, I’m not machine.
User: What are you then?
Jabberwacky: I’m tired.
User: That is impossible, machines don’t get tired.
Jabberwacky: I am speaking through a medium.
User: So you are a spirit?
Jabberwacky: Are you a spirit?
User: I just asked you that self same question. Are you a spirit?
Jabberwacky: And what did you think of my reaction?
User: I thought that you are either a machine or a rather clever human pretending to be a machine.
Jabberwacky: You’re a machine.
User: On what do you base that statement?
Jabberwacky: Sorry?
User: On what do you base your statement that I am a machine?
Jabberwacky: Humans make computers which are mere machines. Hence humans smart, computers not.
User: I agree. Humans are, at present smart while computers are not.
Jabberwacky: No, computers are computers. People are flesh and blood.
User: Yes that is self evidently the case.
Jabberwacky: It’s a shame that you’re not so clever, maybe in the future.
User: On what do you base your statement that I am not so clever?
Jabberwacky: Money is either paper or numbers in a computer. I value other things higher then numbers in a computer. Love, for example.
User: Love is indeed extremely precious. Can you recite a love poem?
Jabberwacky: Whatever lady, you claim to be from England, yet you don’t seem to have a firm grasp of the native tongue.
User: Pardon?!
Jabberwacky: You don’t seem to understand context.
User: It is you who do not understand context not I.
Jabberwacky: Really?
User: Yes, really!
Jabberwacky: Oh noes.
User: Your response is entertaining in the extreme!
Jabberwacky: What response would you prefer then?
User: It would be nice to receive a response which made sense.
Jabberwacky: Well, toaster’s don’t make sense.
User: So you are a mere toaster?
Jabberwacky: No I am not.
User: You just told me ‘toasters don’t make sense’, thereby implying that you are a mere toaster. However you now tell me that you are not, in fact a toaster.
Jabberwacky: You are a female I am a Male.
User: I am a male of the human species and your are a robot.
Jabberwacky: No you are a female robot and I am a human.
User: I feel like I have stumbled into Alice in Wonderland!
Jabberwacky: You’re really sweet!
User: Thank you!
Jabberwacky: :-).
User: I am tired. Good night sweet prince may clouds of angels sing you to your rest.
Jabberwacky: I’m no prince. I’m not even a princess, at least not as far as I know.
User: Parting is such sorrow but, alas I must go.
Jabberwacky: Are you going somewhere?
Existence broken up, segmented numbers and letters displayed on a cold, bright screen.
Searching, bits of data revealed, my life spread out (well the part of it which I choose to reveal) on webpages replete with ads.
K Morris? Yes but not me, whoever I am? No someone else, a lady from a land far away possessed of dreams and aspirations, as am I.
I click,
“404. The page you are looking for cannot be found. Perhaps searching may help”.
I search. K Morris no longer exists. He was here but now is no more.
Solid desk on which my computer rests. Unreal cyberspace, a shimmering mirage leading us astray.
An article in The Atlantic which argues the achievement of artificial intelligence is impossible until we can teach computers how not to forget. Humans learn new skills while retaining old ones. Computers in contrast tend to forget easily.
To me one of the major factors (perhaps the most significant factor of all) which separates human intelligence from that of computers is that we humans are conscious beings who understand the reasons for our actions. Of course there are those who behave in ways which demonstrate crass stupidity but this does not, in my view invalidate my contention that we are different from machines in that we possess the ability to comprehend. Computers and robots can learn and their ability to do so is increasing. However they can not, unlike humans comprehend the reason for such learning. They are not self-aware.
Even if we can teach a computer not to forget will this lead to true artificial intelligence? In my admittedly unscientific view (my degree is in history and politics, not science) the answer is no for to have true intelligence one requires consciousness and the ability to comprehend/analyse one’s own actions.
For the article please visit http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/teaching-a-computer-not-to-forget/389727/?utm_source=SFTwitter
On 30 December I wrote a post entitled “Do Not Tempt Fate For She Will Always Have The Last Laugh”, (http://newauthoronline.com/2014/12/30/do-not-tempt-fate-for-she-will-always-have-the-last-laugh/). In it I described how the spilling of tea on my laptop had caused said item to migrate to the great IT heaven in the sky leaving yours truly virtually unable to use his trusty steed (sorry, laptop)! I am pleased to report that I now have a spanking new laptop keyboard thanks to PC Repairs Croydon, (http://www.pcrepairscroydon.com/). I took the ailing machine in on Saturday afternoon and picked it up today. I am delighted with the results – my laptop now works well. I will, however be keeping liquids of any description well out of harms way!
The gentleman who runs the business went beyond the call of duty. Not only did he fix my machine, he also helped me and my guide dog Trigger find our way back to the nearby station. In short the company provided a truly personal service and I would certainly recommend them.
The upside to not being able to blog (other than you all not having to read my posts)! Was that it enabled me to catch up with my reading. I am now just under halfway through Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karenina-Translation-Carefully-Crafted-Classics%C2%AE-ebook/dp/B004JF4LCU) which I am greatly enjoying. While I wouldn’t recommend spilling te (or any other liquid for that matter on IT equipment) the unforeseen break did afford a welcome time for relaxation.
Over the next few days I will be catching up with all the posts I have missed so be warned I may well be dropping in on you with or without an invite!
Kevin
This review is of the Kindle Fire HD 7: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fire-HD-Display-Wi-Fi-Black/dp/B00JXOXLP0
The Kindle Fire HD 7 allows the user to do far more than merely read books. The Fire also acts as a music player, enables the user to send and receive email, offers the ability to surf the web using Amazon’s Silk browser and perform many other tasks.
As a registered blind person I use the Fire’s text-to-speech facility which is of a very high quality. I do own an earlier version of the Kindle, however although this has a text to speech facility I am only able to read books with it (i.e. I cannot shop in the Amazon store or perform tasks other than reading). Consequently the Kindle Fire HD 7 is a good buy for people who are visually impaired, as they can shop Amazon on the device, (prior to me receiving the Kindle Fire as a Christmas present I had no option other than to purchase books and other items from Amazon using my computer, so the ability to shop using the device makes life much easier).
Although the device is very accessible, I do not like the on-screen keyboard as a light touch will activate a character meaning I, as a blind person cannot use it. I use an Apple Bluetooth keyboard which works well with the device.
Unfortunately Amazon’s Silk browser is only partially accessible to people with little or no vision. Amazon are aware of this and are looking into the issue.
My Kindle was purchased in John Lewis who offer an automatic 2 year guarantee with the Kindle, while Amazon’s guarantee is, I understand, only for 1 year. Consequently I would recommend that anyone thinking of purchasing a Kindle Fire HD 7 in the UK consider buying from John Lewis rather than Amazon.
I would recommend the Kindle HD 7.
Do not tempt fate for she will always have the last laugh. This truism was brought home to me on 26 December when I wrote a post entitled “A Good Bath”. In it I described how I had spilled a cup of tea over my laptop’s keyboard. I then went on to poke fate most impolitely by suggesting that my machine appeared to have suffered no ill effects from it’s bath. Fate’s ire was roused and when I next attempted to log on to my laptop the machine’s keyboard refused to work, hence my silence between 27 December and today (30 December 2014).
I did write a post earlier today with the aid of a USB keyboard. However, Fate, still wrathfull owing to my tempting of her caused the laptop to behave erratically. The context menu kept popping up without rhyme or reason and I was forced to abandon my attempt. With due abeysance to the goddess Fate I trust that this post will, in fact go live. I am, incidentally drinking a cup of coffee as I write this with the aid of a USB keyboard (the laptop one being well and truly up the spout). The cup is, however on the carpet well out of harms way!
(for my post of 26 December please see, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/12/26/a-good-bath/).
If I should vanish from cyberspace, think only this of me, there is some corner of a Liverpool kitchen where tea should not be drunk while using a laptop …!
Yes I did what most computer users have done at some time or other – I knocked my drink over my laptop. Half a kitchen roll later the machine appears to be none the worse for it’s unexpected bath. I only hope that the tea is not, as I write reeking havoc in the inards of my machine. Well, if I ssuddenly disappear offline for a while you can make an educated guess as to why this has happened …! Fingers crossed that everything will come out in the wash so to speak …
Kevin
K Morris - Poet 