unforum

[niobexrev]

Wow, one more thing I get to miss out on. I can't seem to get into IRC.

[Insomniac]

She isn't talking to me just everyone else! This is so annoying!

[mulder]

Does the guy wear Glasses?
that would be cool to ask...

other thing... ask her if she feels as her dreams are more real than reality... and ask again about phillip, wongmo...

about the test... tell her to ask AI to contact US...

[Omnie]

OmniEmp: Have you asked your friend about the Monitors? They seem quite threatening...does he know why they are after him?
OmniEmp: Or who sent them?
bethlmcconnell: I have not brought them up
OmniEmp: Oh, all right. Well, you've clearly been busy. Have you gotten any closer to determining his purpose?
OmniEmp: I was thinking...maybe he corrects the anomalies that crop up all over the world. Maybe they've been happening because he's broken?
bethlmcconnell: After his last run in, I figured that if he wouldn't accept my help if I mentioned them.
OmniEmp: Ah...I see. That's considerate.
bethlmcconnell: or selfish.
bethlmcconnell: I'm quite curious about him.
OmniEmp: But scared to ask for fear that he wouldn't react properly? Hmm...
OmniEmp: Maybe you could ask if he would mind discussing them? If the topic bothers him?
OmniEmp: Because it's certainly a fascinating topic, don't you think?
bethlmcconnell: It's quite frightening actually, considering what they did.
OmniEmp: Yes, definitely. They are too powerful, which might be a good reason to find out more about them.

(I was quite excited when she began responding with substantial comments, so I probably babbled on stupidly...but she says some cool stuff, so I figured I'd post)

[aheffel]

I have to leave, which is a very unfortunate thing, becuase this is exciting stuff... But here's the entirety of my conversation with Beth:

AHeffel: Beth?
(sorry to seem sudden, I visit Little-boxes.)
I was interested in "YourFriend"
AHeffel: I wanted to say hi, and see how things were going.
bethlmcconnell: things are... confusing.
AHeffel: I believe it.
AHeffel: where are you right now?
AHeffel: I don't mean to sound stalker-ish. I just wondered how your experiments are going.
AHeffel: well, as you've possibly gathered, your readers are all pulling for you. I don't want to keep bothering you, because you seem busy. But I'd love to know any details you'll give me. I'm very interested in phenomena like this.
bethlmcconnell: sorry.
bethlmcconnell: i was travelling
bethlmcconnell: and then absorbing where i am.
bethlmcconnell: this is absolutely amazing.
AHeffel: where to this time? (I'm sure this is fun)
bethlmcconnell: 44º25N 26º6E
AHeffel: can he dictate where you travel, or is it happening randomly?
bethlmcconnell: he seems to be able to dictate it and is excited (as excited as he gets) when we move
AHeffel: that's awesome.
AHeffel: has he said how he's capable of doing this?
bethlmcconnell: No. I'm not sure that he is entirely sure of the process.
AHeffel: what else do you think he's capable of?
bethlmcconnell: I wish I knew. He seems to be able to have control, at least some control, of everything.
bethlmcconnell: He says that isn't the case though.
AHeffel: (let me know if you get sick of me asking questions, it's the Journalism Student in me)
What is the traveling process like, is it a flash? or things moving past rapidly?
bethlmcconnell: It's just sudden. I'm one place one minute and then another place the next
AHeffel: wow. That sounds like something out of Star Trek.
AHeffel: I take it you have a laptop or PDA with some kind of GPS in it?
bethlmcconnell: I don't have GPS coordinates. He is letting me know where we are.
AHeffel: Seems like he does it all. If I were you I'd keep him around.
AHeffel: Are you keeping a record of all the places you're going?
bethlmcconnell: I'm trying to record it all
bethlmcconnell: I haven't had much time to absorb it though.
AHeffel: That's understandable.
AHeffel: Any new clues as to what he is?
bethlmcconnell: no, no clues
bethlmcconnell: and the longer this trip takes, the few clues I seem to find.
AHeffel: all he's told you is that he isn't human, and he thinks he's "broken" or has "lost his purpose?" (I'm re-reading the info you're written already and trying to get my head around this)
AHeffel: *you've (not "you're")
AHeffel: You aren't dreaming, are you?
AHeffel: just kidding.
AHeffel: Well, I really have to be going. I wish I didn't, because I'm very interested in all this stuff. I'll IM you if I see you online later.
AHeffel: Also, feel free to send me anything you learn of interest: aheffelSPLATbgnet.bgsu.edu
AHeffel: Talk to you later Beth, good luck, stay safe.

Hope it helps.
I really think we should put all of the conversation transcripts in one place, so they're readily available. (I'd love an e-mail as to where that ends up being, if it's done.)
Thanks all, bye!

[King Mob]

Just thinking out loud (as much as one can posting in a forum!): Assuming this is real (and not a hoax), then it appears that the PM's are intending this to come across as similar to the Oct. 31 phone calls in terms of a lot of people being involved so as to verify its authenticity (if I can use that word). That would - I'm thinking on the fly here - explain why AI Man is taking her around the world in 80 minutes; they're trying to give everyone a chance to get involved.

[mainro]

l2omain: Hello Miss McConnell I am at 48°47.4N 2°22.1E if you want to have a break with your friend you're most welcome.
l2omain: And if I can help you in any way just tell me.
bethlmcconnell: I would love some ideas on tests to help determine his purpose.



any ideas ?

[bakntime]

Well, it's clear Beth was/is looking for ways to test his purpose... I just can't think of any

[JPI]

I got ahold of bethlmcconnell on Yahoo! Messenger. Here's my two cents. It's not much (if anything). But thought I'd upload it, just in case something pops out at someone....

[King Mob]

Might that be the reason of this chat - to get us involved in trying to help Beth determine AI Man's purpose? If it is, I can't for the life of me think of any tests that might help her, aside from taking him back to where he was created - although the amount of danger involved in that, plus how would we explain our theory that her company created this guy? - would probably be stretching things.
I mean, heck, most of humanity doesn't know what its purpose is! How are we supposed to determine that of a machine? Examine the source code?

[Statik]

[Darkshadow]

JPI, did you even give her your email?

[bakntime]

[King Mob]

This is so frustrating! I keep replaying Smith's speech from Reloaded in my head, but all I can think of is "it's purpose that define's us; purpose that drives us", and then I think of Neo's purpose, to return to the source; and then I think of Neo's original purpose, to seek an answer to a question, the question that drives us.
Maybe someone should ask Beth to ask AI Man "What is the Matrix?"

[King Mob]

I just had another thought - what if AI Man is meant to go the Sati (was that her name?) route - i.e. that purpose is not what defines you, but that you are defined by so much more. Maybe Beth has to help him evolve beyond his programming?[/i]