The TFP as a collective consciousness
 

I was reading a Dilbert cartoon today about how the internet could create a vast consciousness among users, and related it to the TFP somehow. Is it possible that through this site, we have a condenced pool of knowlage and consciousness? Maybe I just need more sleep, but its an interesting concept.

Re: The TFP as a collective consciousness
 

It seems obvious to me that the TFP is a pool of knowledge and consciousness, otherwise, what are threads for? What are responses for? It is everybody's ideas coming together and merging onto one place.

I don't really understand your concept, maybe.

I tap into that pool all the time to discern trends and needs. Using that information, I make changes to policy/software accordingly.

I wouldn't call it a collective consciousness,
which is the concept of many entities acting together as one mindset.

But the TFP is more of a community.
Many individuals with many views and desires.
One of which is to express themselves in an environment that encourages that and makes them secure to do that.

I have a question. Is this "collective consciousness" you refer to the idea behind the following --

Example, someone figures out cold fusion. But as it turns out, someone thousands of miles away also figures out cold fusion within days of the first person, but the second guy is using a similar, but different method. These scientists had no contact with each other during the process.

I seem to recall hearing that there are many recorded instances of this phenomenon. I'd be interested in learning more about it.

Yes. We are a collective consciousness.

That's a given.

What is most interesting to me is what we do with it and how we do it.

Dont read to much into it. The internet is simply an extremely efficient way of communicating and sharing knowledge (which is a good thing - unless you are actively plotting against your democratically elected government!) . . but remember that most of the wonders of the world were built by organised societies who did not even have electricity never mind broadband! Forums like this are excellent for allowing people to discuss topics with like minded others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but there is way too much porn and MP3 being 'communicated' and not enough 'intelligent debate' for it to matter one iota.

What will Hal do when TFP v10.0 has been upgraded to a server so advanced and software so advanced that it becomes a sentient being embodying the collective thoughts of its members?

MSD, as I stated earlier, I see it as being all those things already.
Hal's response above indicates he also sees the forum as a "collective consciousness," by his statement:
"I tap into that pool all the time to discern trends and needs. Using that information, I make changes to policy/software accordingly."

To follow your description to the letter, let's use the analogy of the brain. If the forum is the brain of a sentient being whose neurons are ourselves, would you consider the the brain itself to be a sentient being? It has more to do with how it's all defined and whre ther seat of consciousness is placed. In the human being, for example, we can be defined in several ways as collective or aggregate organisms.

I think we can draw up a plausible scenario in which the current state of the TFP can be described as a "sentient being."

Why wait for v10?

I like this idea Art has going.

The tricky part is being taken seriously, though I only fear unfair judgement from those who don't understand that this place is a very hands-on experiment for me, and not just a *forum.*

We are the TFP. Resistance is futile

slightly harder would be for the TFP to enter the collective unconscious. That way Hal's troubles would be over and we could post in our dreams.