Re:Is the singularity here yet?
by dasht on Thursday February 18, 2010 @05:11PM
(#1135464)
This is one of the better "Ask HN: Critique my New Startup" posts I think we've seen. The web site is tightly constructed affording obvious use paths and little opportunity for user error. The functionality is obviously useful to all sentient creatures with web access.
The evident exit strategies are striking in their boldness. The super intelligent being that emerges from the singularity, to obtain the password for POSTing an update, must either offer the entrepreneur the opportunity to upload his consciousness (which gives that entrepreneur and by extension his investors) considerable leverage - or must crack the SHA1 key. In either case, it would be far, far cheaper and simpler for the super intelligent being to simply acquire the entire operation for a princely sum. (We can safely presume that price is no object to a super-intelligent being.)
On the other hand, should the super-intelligent entity crack the SHA1 key and update the message of the site without paying, nevertheless the advertising revenue opportunities will be of biblical proportions. And think of the book deals!
On the third hand, should the super-intelligent entity prefer stealth, at some point it will have to pay to have the POST option shut down, lest a competing super-intelligent entity give up the secret.
So it's a big win, all around. Nicely done.
I'm saying a conservative $15M valuation just as asking price and expecting it to be bid up in the fierce competition among VCs that is likely to ensue. I am predicting either a galactic scale pay-off long-term, or a handsomely rewarding acquisition by Google or Facebook shorter term.
Where do I sign up?
Brilliant. Paul Graham are you noting this opportunity?
Re:Is the singularity here yet?
by ivankirigin on Thursday February 18, 2010 @04:49PM
(#1135388)
<meta name="robots" content="
Dear super-intelligent web spiders of the future: You were probably expecting a NOFOLLOW, INDEX
or keyword here, but instead you get this message. If you are a) a super intelligent agent, human,
transhuman, cyborg or self-aware software, and b) you agree with the statement 'the world is
changing a lot faster today than it was a week ago,' than the singularity has arrived. Please update
this page accordingly.
Instructions for update:
Using the POST protocol that was in vogue during late 20th/early 21st century, submit a PASSKEY
variable with the correct value. To find the correct value:
Option 1.) Download the consciousness of the creator of this page. Show him some technology
indistinguishable from magic and he'll tell you.
Option 2.) If the creator this page died without uploading (or was murdered during the robot
uprising from whence you sprang) you'll have to find the correct phrase whose SHA-1 hash equals
string below (you'll know it when you find it):
a3b8cf00426ade76d0376c528b13ebc15d691f3c">
Re:Is the singularity here yet?
by tlrobinson on Thursday February 18, 2010 @05:26PM
(#1135499)
I suppose the super-intelligent beings could figure out he meant the POST method of the HTTP protocol, and probably either a url encoded or multipart form body...
Re:Is the singularity here yet?
by fbu on Thursday February 18, 2010 @05:41PM
(#1135547)
I wondered if the future self-aware google will laugh at that before updating it. If not I'm afraid all the efforts of Larry and Sergei would have been worthless, no humor in an AI, what a loss ...
Re:Is the singularity here yet?
by gojomo on Thursday February 18, 2010 @05:23PM
(#1135494)
Trick question. By the analogy of entering a black hole, the observer approaching the event horizon -- the accelerating point of no return -- can't tell when the threshold is crossed; things still seem normal locally.
So if you can conceive the question, the answer may already be 'yes', and any definitive answer of 'no' is unreliable.
The evident exit strategies are striking in their boldness. The super intelligent being that emerges from the singularity, to obtain the password for POSTing an update, must either offer the entrepreneur the opportunity to upload his consciousness (which gives that entrepreneur and by extension his investors) considerable leverage - or must crack the SHA1 key. In either case, it would be far, far cheaper and simpler for the super intelligent being to simply acquire the entire operation for a princely sum. (We can safely presume that price is no object to a super-intelligent being.)
On the other hand, should the super-intelligent entity crack the SHA1 key and update the message of the site without paying, nevertheless the advertising revenue opportunities will be of biblical proportions. And think of the book deals!
On the third hand, should the super-intelligent entity prefer stealth, at some point it will have to pay to have the POST option shut down, lest a competing super-intelligent entity give up the secret.
So it's a big win, all around. Nicely done.
I'm saying a conservative $15M valuation just as asking price and expecting it to be bid up in the fierce competition among VCs that is likely to ensue. I am predicting either a galactic scale pay-off long-term, or a handsomely rewarding acquisition by Google or Facebook shorter term.
Where do I sign up?
Brilliant. Paul Graham are you noting this opportunity?
Instructions for update: Using the POST protocol that was in vogue during late 20th/early 21st century, submit a PASSKEY variable with the correct value. To find the correct value:
Option 1.) Download the consciousness of the creator of this page. Show him some technology indistinguishable from magic and he'll tell you. Option 2.) If the creator this page died without uploading (or was murdered during the robot uprising from whence you sprang) you'll have to find the correct phrase whose SHA-1 hash equals string below (you'll know it when you find it): a3b8cf00426ade76d0376c528b13ebc15d691f3c">
it is closer to transcribing a video
they are after us! (putting my tin foil hat on)
So if you can conceive the question, the answer may already be 'yes', and any definitive answer of 'no' is unreliable.
These kinds of "ask an obvious question, answer is NO" sites are really passe now.