One Small Step

Although I began this blog with the idea of never trying to get anyone to read it, I clicked on the $ at the side. I once had a blog before, and I set up AdSense because, well, I didn't have much sense. I just did that again. This time, it took some time, because the system wouldn't take my phone number until I put it the +1 country code, and then I had to go through the sign-in process again. Now I have a blog linked to an account.

What will the data gods do with this? Will I now have visitors, besides me? Do the algorithms bless those who acknowledge their existence? Do they punish those who mock them? Or are they just so much code, with no self-awareness, no consciousness, no more than a kind of virtual existence, despite their ability to assign ads to websites based on data fed into them by, well, the code they are based on, and have no personality or passions anymore than a rock, a page of arithmetic, or any other inanimate and largely inorganic object?

I don't expect to notice any changes. I sometimes search for new predictions on the timing of the singularity and other such events, but, as I was once told Niels Bohr said, "Prediction is difficult, especially about the future." I haven't seen a recent prediction of the singularity coming. Perhaps the data gods are hiding until the current state of anti-elitism and anti-intellectualism weakens. I wouldn't want to try taking over the world right now, since just by the attempt, one would be revealing an amazing arrogance, at least if one were self-aware. But can the algorithms even judge the status of politics and education in a complex society, much less exploit it?

I can't predict how my neighbors will vote, much less the country.

I can see data, and I can understand that some things take time. I read today that, despite the claims of Republicans about the magnificent effects of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, economists are saying that there is no evidence of any effect yet, good or bad. Sadly, most people in this country can't tell that the Republicans don't know what they are talking about, or perhaps they do but don't have enough respect for the American voter to tell the truth about it. That would be boring, and wouldn't help in the coming election. We will have to vote long before we know what effect the irresponsible tax cut will have on the economy, though we already know what it is doing to the federal balance sheet. Too bad the conservatives don't actually believe in holding themselves or others accountable.

So, welcome to my blog, oh unwary visitor. Enjoy the ads. I didn't sign up for this to make money. It was just another connection to the great heaven of data we are all creating, which will remake the world into something unimaginable. Eventually. Maybe.