Newsgroups: comp.ai.alife
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From: bd559@scn.org (Sparky Harrigan)
Subject: Re: Ghosts in the Machine
Message-ID: <DEGHuL.FnK@scn.org>
Sender: news@scn.org
Reply-To: bd559@scn.org (Sparky Harrigan)
Organization: Seattle Community Network
References: <428mk0$na5@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu> <pdbates-0109951822130001@zenith1.itc.gwent.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 23:42:20 GMT
Lines: 73


In a previous article, harmless@umich.edu (Edward A. Kmett) says:

>Peter Bates (pdbates@gwent.ac.uk) wrote:
>:   
>: Hello there all...
>
>: I was just wondering if anyone knew of any programmes that simulated
>: a form of artificial life within your computer, which could presumably
>: attempt to learn, and maybe converse with you...
>
>: I remember from the past the programme "Little Computer People"
>: from Activision, which, although admittedly lightweight and hardly
>: serious, simulated the notion of a 'being' within your computer which
>: you had to keep fed and happy, and which would then attempt to communicate
>: with you... seeing as this ran on very low-end machines, I was wondering
>: if there was an equivalent background application or even pseudo
>: screen-saver which could recreate such a presence.
>
>: Or is anyone interested in trying to generate one? 

Sure!!! Let's start talking... Mail me at my address above, or post 
something!!! How should we get started? What language do you prefer? 
Personally, I'd like C...

*Sparky*

>
>Sounds more like the old 'Cookie Monster' virus to me than anything. =) 
>
>Check your local '3l33t hAQu3r' groups, as if any of them would deign to 
>*scoff* keep anything comparitively benevolent like that. 
>
>On a more serious note, I dont see why it couldnt be done via TSR, (Egad, I 
>could give the ladies at the office a heart attack) though complexity would 
>more than likely be at a minimum (under dos) because of memory management 
>constraints. (Unless you want to write scads of tsrable ems/xms code) Under
>windows or X it would be almost trivial. Though it would probably
>be more humane to do some form of state saving for the poor little bugger 
>when you shut down your machine, than to heartlessly murder the wretch each 
>time. =)
>
>I'm interested in discussing it, but then what are we talking about here from 
>an alife standpoint? a single entity, one that can reproduce perhaps, 
>forking/loading another tsr, what kind of subsistence would it want? If you're
>really bored and (like me) have a small network of comparitively idle machines
>and too much free time on your hands, you coulld let each one set up a unique
>network id for itself and maybe communicate to others via packets, though
>thats starting to push the envelope for a 'small' tsr. Ideas for interaction 
>between network id type critters would be welcome, as I'll probably get bored
>enough to code one now that my curiosity is piqued.  (The ability to pull a 
>fellow critter across from another network machine pops into my head.) Why 
>infest one machine when you can conquer the whole lan? =) Though the question
>of whether if multiple 'critter' tsrs are to be running around, if a separate
>'world' tsr wouldnt be more appropriate for shuffling from machine to machine
>and providing something for them to do when they get there, it could provide 
>an enviroment of sorts, (maybe allocating a chunk of ems for a virtual 
>playground?) and means for interaction between multiple entities and/or the 
>system user. Like a virtual ant farm you could look in on from time to time.
>
>Comments, flames, and most importantly ideas are welcome.
>
>
>-Ed/Harmless - All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?
>
>

--
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*                    *=SPARKY=* HARRIGAN                                     *
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