Kaj_Sotala comments on Lifelogging: the recording device - Less Wrong Discussion
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.
Comments (31)
Some uses:
There are probably more, these are the ones I could come up with right now.
Are you doing any of these right now, or are they hypothetical for when the technology gets there?
Hypothetical unless you count the IRC and IM logs, which I already employ for many of these purposes. To be exact, I'm saving funny conversation snippets to a separate file, recording past conversations, and reverse-engineering arguments. I've also done a bit of the saving good moments bit, though less than I could.
Are people in practice really so tolerant of those who want to record them constantly? Unless I'm absolutely forced to be in the same room with someone who does it (or, of course, if I specifically want something to be filmed), I would insist that one of us must leave, no matter what. I wouldn't even trust them that the damn thing is turned off when they say it is. (And if done secretly, I would consider it a voyeuristic offense against my person, effectively an act of war.)
I see taping lectures and other public events as an entirely normal thing. However, the idea that someone would want, or even tolerate, to be taped during private emotional moments and in situations where funny stories are told and passionate arguments made honestly baffles me. (With a few traditional exceptions like taping family events for sentimental purposes etc.)
You do it too, you record everything with your brain. Sure, right now it is hard to read-out and memories are still vague. But the time will come when we'll be able to download memories. And that memories are vague and sometimes counterfactual will be even worse because people will believe them based on the persons credence. Further you are effectively speaking out against transhumanism with this stand. You are going to hate all people with advanced memory enhancements? You are going to hate all people which possess brain implants?
Anyway, what are you going to do the day when reading-out memories will be easy?
Identifying natural images from human brain activity
Status quo bias?
No. Merely the desire not to be forced to obsessively ponder my every word and act, for fear that it might be published on the internet tomorrow, or otherwise shown to some relevant authority figure who would be judgmental about it. I also want various mishaps and unpleasant events that happen to everyone from time to time to be resolved, overcome, and forgotten, not to be permanently recorded like sleeping demons.
Not everyone will find your funny stories funny, your honest opinions respectable, and your demeanor in various relaxed situations likable. (Or mine at least, and those of practically anyone I enjoy socializing with.) People are pretty damn judgmental, and unless your life is a complete bore and your opinions a paragon of exemplary conventionality, you will likely have some moments in your private life that you don't want at least some people to see. Also, some things in life should be complete and absolute bygones for the good of everyone involved.
A lot of people would probably dislike the idea of being recorded (which I think ought to be respected), though I suspect folks would get used to it. People already save emotional e-mails and logs of very private instant message conversations without others objecting, though obviously those have more deniability value. It's much easier to write an e-mail and claim somebody else wrote it, than it is to forge an audiovisual recording of them saying something.
In general, my attitude towards people saving logs or e-mails is that if I trust them enough to tell them whatever it is that I'm telling them, then I also trust them not to make the recordings public in a way I'd disapprove of. My attitude towards somebody lifelogging me would likely be similar.