SilasBarta comments on Is Google Paperclipping the Web? The Perils of Optimization by Proxy in Social Systems - Less Wrong

37 Post author: Alexandros 10 May 2010 01:25PM

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Comment author: SilasBarta 11 May 2010 04:06:30PM *  3 points [-]

Yes, and imagine if spammers went through the effort to make an android indistinguishable from a human on the outside (in behavior and form), and had it "spam" you after reading your internet postings/websites, on the pretense that it has some questions and wants to collaborate with you.

Then, it fakes an entire friendship, in which it gives you many useful ideas, in order to be able to slip in a few remarks here and there of the form, "Hey, I know a good Mexican pharmacy where you can get cheap Viagra." (Which you point out to your "friend" is probably a scam.)

If that's what spam comes to look like one day, I don't want a filtered inbox!

Comment author: Yvain 11 May 2010 06:27:28PM 6 points [-]

If that's what spam comes to look like one day, I don't want a filtered inbox!

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1024#comic

Comment author: SilasBarta 13 May 2010 04:03:49PM 2 points [-]

I think it's freaking awesome that someone had already made a comic about that concept.

Comment author: kpreid 13 May 2010 06:32:59PM 1 point [-]
Comment author: NancyLebovitz 11 May 2010 04:19:33PM 2 points [-]

I expectt there would still be a range of spam-- crude spam only needs a very low success rate to continue to be produced-- so you'll still want your filters.

Comment author: SilasBarta 11 May 2010 04:27:07PM 2 points [-]

Eh, I was just going for a zinger. You're right, it would be more accurate to say, "I don't want my inbox to call that spam!"

Comment author: thomblake 11 May 2010 06:31:53PM 1 point [-]

Don't forget your VK couples testing

Comment author: Caspian 14 May 2010 11:42:52AM 0 points [-]

But it could suggest fake online shops that appear similar to the real ones you use, and you'd be more likely to fall for it than the viagra ones.

Comment author: Alexandros 14 May 2010 10:14:03AM *  0 points [-]

Kinda sounds like having a useful service and supporting it with an ad-based model (but without clearly delineating the 'sponsored links'). If I could have someone interact with my work and give me useful ideas, I would probably pay for the privilege.