Re: "True Names," chat with Vinge, and Cypherpunks

[tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)]

> > Wormholes, reversible computation, the 7,000-Cray NSA computer, the
> > problems with nanotech, the problems with AI, the Tines and the
> > Powers, the Extropians group (Vernor was curious), the Singularity,
> > and the implications of the OJ Simpson case were a few of the
> > topics. (Yes, several of us had "wasted" our time watching this
> > case. Me, I think it's drama of truly Shakespearean proportions, and
> > should not be "dissed" just becuase it's getting more attention than
> > the Rhwandans and Haitians are getting...not to mention the boring
> > Bosnians.)
> 
> Did Vinge have anything of interest to the list to say that you could 
> pass on?
> 
> Wes thu hal,
> Al Billings

Al is not the only person to ask.

I mentioned the topics we talked about. But he did not speak in
Zarathustra-like aphorisms. Nothing specific to quote, as he wasn't
giving a lecture and we weren't taking notes.

He's working on a sequel to "A Fire Upon the Deep," is writing a story
set deep in the Slow Zone (the Oprah Zone?), and is getting a lot of
publisher attention. 

He had some funny things to say about San Diego State, where he
teaches in the CS department. Ironically, there was a "cyberpunk"
conference held there, and VV was not invited (or was overlooked) So
Bear and Brin, friends of his, kept asking pointedly, "Where's
Vernor?"

On the Singularity, I've already said a fair amount.

He was very interested to hear about the Cypherpunks--he said he'd
gotten some articles forwarded to him. He may attend the September
meeting by M-BONE...Eric Hughes plans to contact Phil Karn to see if a
San Diego hookup is possible for that meeting. (The September meeting,
as we discussed at the CP meeting on Saturday, will be a special recap
of progress, the Second Anniversary meeting.)

This is all I can write for now. Oh, I made it clear to him on several
occasions just how important "True Names" was to the formation of my
own ideas about crypto anarchy (I first discovered it in a
passed-around Xerox samizdat in 1986).

--Tim May


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