"The Google of online dating" (Boston Globe)

Participating in an online dating forum has been a fascinating experience because profiles are specifically tailored to enhance a person's image, even more overtly than something like Facebook. The difference is motive--people are inclined to represent themselves in an idealistic way to attract a partner. I have become fascinated by the thought that people are skewing their identity subconsciously, much in the way that people cannot objectively see their reflection in a mirror.

I personally had difficulty describing myself, because I had never been taught to write so candidly about myself. There isn't a portion of the profile to represent any pitfalls or problems you may have... until it comes to the personality questions. The most disturbing question I have answered so far, was: If, by causing a car accident, your partner suffered horrible injuries, and they resented you for them, would you continue a relationship with them? Answering questions helps OkCupid's program to assess your compatibility with other members. I wonder how accurate the questions are, and if I would truly be attracted to people that OkCupid suggests. Physical attraction is, of course, not accounted for in the percentage they assign between you and another member as either: Match, Friend, or Enemy. I firmly believe this information is vital, despite the website's assertion that attraction isn't nearly as important (surely, it's not the only thing, but I believe this information should come first.

Another issue is misrepresentation though the use of outdated pictures. I have often encountered a profile that has drastically more glamorized pictures than those which appear on their corresponding Facebook. My sister, an avid user of dating websites (she actually married a man she met on OkCupid), attests to many dates with men that had gained weight or aged significantly since the pictures they chose for a profile. This deceit is a common fear people have about dating websites, and is one difference between meeting people online and meeting them in person. People still lie and deceive about personality when meeting in person, so the difference is that when online you can employ an edited/outdated photo or even a picture of someone else to delay a potential mate seeing your genuine appearance.

The World Wide Safety Blanket

People seem terrified of making other's uncomfortable, which prevents them from accessing ideas outside of their own and discussing issues with people that may challenge their perspective. It is inappropriate to discussion religion, politics, or personal issues because people don't want to tolerate the tension. This fear also translates into avoiding people of other races, religions, and sexual orientations.

I live in the reality Boyd describes both online--on Facebook and in a co-op that touts diversity-- but has few members that are not white or Atheist. I have a lot of pseudo-hippie friends that complain of injustice, but do not experience it or do anything tangible about it. I take some comfort in the fact that my friends make posts about political issues, and most of them are sensitive and conscientious.

What intrigued me about Boyd's and Stepaneck's articles is the expression of pervasive racial issues that are subconsciously expressed by aligning with certain social networks. This issue reminds me of my friend's thesis on racially-based sexual preference as an indication of underlying racism. I wonder how can we solve racism we don't acknowledge or understand.

Imperfect humans, perfect machines

Efficiency is the aim of business, obviously, but this goal undermines the importance of a human. In an age where people are already replaced with atms, voicemail, and self check-out we are marginalizing humanity. People with mental handicaps were once capable of contributing to society, but nearly all jobs have become too technically advanced for a company to bother educating their employee. Though personal service is still preferred because it is often more efficient, one day this will not be the case. Programming out glitches will make more and more people useless, running contradictory to increasing populations. One must wonder what everyone will do in the future, and how we are becoming inferior to our own creation.

S/R 2

In Neuromancer, by William Gibson, Henry Case struggles with a crippling modification in cyberspace. After stealing from an employer, Case is debilitated and unable to access cyberspace which forces him to resort to petty hustling and the seedy town of Chiba for a cure. Desperate in Japan, Case encounters a hired-gun named Molly who hooks him up with Armitage; Case is easily swayed to work as a hacker for Armitage when he promises to “correct [his] neural damage” (29). Case must complete assigned missions to sustain access to 'jacking-in' or mycotoxin sacs will dissolve and cause the same neural damage he had before. Case and Molly are sent to and successfully acquire the ROM module, or recording, of a cowboy nicknamed 'Dixie Flatline' who is then reincarnated to work with the team. Molly and Case learn the core identity of Armitage, Corto, a former member of the intentionally failed mission referred to as 'Screaming fist.' After teaming up with a new member from Armitage named Riviera, Molly and Case discover that Armitage is “getting his goodies off an AI named Wintermute” (74). Wintermute is the product of Tessier-Ashpool that is incomplete without connecting to another AI named Neuromancer, but WM is designed not to know the code necessary for this merging. Wintermute kills Armitage and once inside Villa Straylight Riviera, who had traveled with her, captures Molly alongside 3Jane. 3Jane tells Molly about her father, she “watched him kill [her] mother” (220) because her creation threatened the Turing Code. Neuromancer tempts Case in an induced state to “Stay. If your woman is a ghost, she doesn't know it. Neither will you” (235). Case breaks free from the illusion and works with Molly, who strangles Lady 3Jane to coerce her to tell them the password. The AI's are successfully united, and Case is relieved of the poison sacs as promised.

The striking components of this novel are the notions of dualism that Gibson blurs to synthesize a future where technology is on the verge of running amok. Nature is often referred to negatively as meat, but some technological advancements like sim-stim are attempts to emulate meat. Synthesizing experiences with technology is disturbing to Case, but I wonder how it differs from his former addiction to drugs—which is a more natural version that renders the same effect. Perception is also brought into question as Case searched for the identity of his employer and when Neuromancer tempts him with Linda Lee. This cyberpunk piece is a criticism of the unchecked progress of technology. Most characters have the integrity to prefer genuine experiences, the exception of the traitor Riviera, as is shown when Pauley would rather die than exist as a duplicate. Marrying themes of betrayal with the downside of progress makes the story eerily identifiable. The victor is technology, however, which seems to conflict with the aims of the characters. Case's motive to persist in cyberspace overwhelms the Turing police, who attempt to derail his mission because it threatens the balance of AI and humanity. It is an interesting choice to allow the merging to occur, because it seems to be detrimental to society. Although the characters are romanticized as heroes, they are really nothing more than puppets for a robot. Gibson is getting at progress which is already occurring and seems inevitable. Humans have already begun to merge with technology, and technology continues to emulate the qualities of humanity.The fallibility of humans makes them easy prey for the work of Artificial Intelligence.

Neuromancer clashes with reality

On page 132 Gibson makes a reference to the expense of meat and the process of creating it. This procedure, arduous as it is, parallels new attempts to genetically modify meat. In fact, synthetic meat has already been created, and was likened to the flavor of soggy pork. The reference in Neuromancer articulates the problems with food production and the ability for technology to supplement this need. Genetically modified fruits and vegetables have become a part of our lives to the extent that it is hard to distinguish between GM and regular produce.

Another concept is something the entertainment industry is striving for, and would flourish in the invention of, on page 136 there is a reference to "dreaming real," a perfected and fully interactive hologram. Technology can simulate smell, sensation, and imagery, but has not fully incorporated these components into one system. The potential to create something so real is disturbing yet compelling. I could only wonder how violated our personal boundaries will become when we can synthesize intimacy.