There is no
need to
anthropomorphize the
computer. A computer is not a
law of
nature; it is a
construction of the
human mind, intended to
represent and
emulate and
amplify human
function. The fact that the
machine was
derived from a human
thought process
intrinsically lends a human
slant to its
operation.
Independent of
ventures into the fields of
cybernetics and
AI, computers can be
observed to be more and more
anthromorphic all the
time:
With the
massive heaps of
non-linear relational
data, which is now too large and
convoluted to ever be fully
comprehended, people
begin to
sense when their
Windows machine is in a "
bad mood", and can pick up on
imminent BSOD "vibes".
Old, un
compressed
methods of
computerized video and
audio recording literally just
saved as many
bytes as possible from the incoming
stream. Starting with
image compression, and now
progressing in
streaming A/V, the
software starts
acting like brains. These compression
techniques don't record every fucking
pixel of the stream, rather they
focus on the
visual stresses, and the
shifts and
deltas from
frame to frame.
This is a hell of a lot like optic function in the human skull.
Most
importantly, it can not be
ignored that
these machines are
intended to
interface with
the humans -- their
design must be
configured for us.