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Now automate the entire thing. 20 years from now. You are befriended on Facebook++ by a person who looks somewhat like all the previous girlfriends you have ha

Now automate the entire thing. 20 years from now. You are befriended on Facebook++ by a person who looks somewhat like all the previous girlfriends you have had. Initiating a 3-D video chat, she seems very friendly and has a lot of the same interests as you do. Every now and then -- so infrequently that you do not notice -- she mentions a particular brand or commercial product, always providing a link. Other than that, she's just a great friend. Always there to provide advice, always willing to cheer you up, always enjoying your jokes and stories. Heck, maybe she's even willing to help you out with your startup, providing introductions to her friends and helping you with your marketing. Maybe she helps locate your next big client. Great stuff, eh? Except she doesn't exist.

pyre 15y ago
It's already happening to some extent with real people. There was an article that passed through here a while back that had interviews with ex-419 scammers. One of them was making a living by pretending to be the online girlfriend of some guy. He talked about it in much the same way. He would give him advive, cheer him up, etc. He was essentially 'farming' the guy for money. But this means that he had to deliver real value to the guy to keep stringing him along.
- sliverstorm 15y ago
  The kind of cool thing about that example is, provided the guy wasn't being told he'd get to meet the girl, it's just a simple value exchange, beneficial for both parties. (So long as the advice the scammer gives is good!)
- jedschmidt 15y ago
  This business model has been popular in Japan since cellphones got email: http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/deaikei-duties-posing-online-woman-355918 http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/deaikei-duties-posing-online...
- groby_b 15y ago
  Which, I believe, is known amongst con artists as a "long con". Harder to pull off, bigger payout.
falcolas 15y ago
Which raises the question - is this a bad thing? http://xkcd.com/810/ http://xkcd.com/810/
- Dylan16807 15y ago
  When they pretend to be a person and not just a commentor, yes. Have another xkcd http://xkcd.com/632/ http://xkcd.com/632/
VladRussian 15y ago
For the past 2K+ years philosophy has been unsuccessful to establish whether the world is more real than (or whether it is real at all outside of) our perception of that said world. Internet/VR adds one more layer in between our perception and the world (even in the case if the world is completely inside the perception). Philosophy is going to boom (in all senses) in the 21st century.

pyre 15y ago

It's already happening to some extent with real people. There was an article that passed through here a while back that had interviews with ex-419 scammers. One of them was making a living by pretending to be the online girlfriend of some guy. He talked about it in much the same way. He would give him advive, cheer him up, etc. He was essentially 'farming' the guy for money. But this means that he had to deliver real value to the guy to keep stringing him along.

sliverstorm 15y ago
The kind of cool thing about that example is, provided the guy wasn't being told he'd get to meet the girl, it's just a simple value exchange, beneficial for both parties. (So long as the advice the scammer gives is good!)
jedschmidt 15y ago
This business model has been popular in Japan since cellphones got email: http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/deaikei-duties-posing-online-woman-355918 http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/play/deaikei-duties-posing-online...
groby_b 15y ago
Which, I believe, is known amongst con artists as a "long con". Harder to pull off, bigger payout.

falcolas 15y ago

Which raises the question - is this a bad thing? http://xkcd.com/810/ http://xkcd.com/810/

Dylan16807 15y ago
When they pretend to be a person and not just a commentor, yes. Have another xkcd http://xkcd.com/632/ http://xkcd.com/632/

VladRussian 15y ago

For the past 2K+ years philosophy has been unsuccessful to establish whether the world is more real than (or whether it is real at all outside of) our perception of that said world. Internet/VR adds one more layer in between our perception and the world (even in the case if the world is completely inside the perception). Philosophy is going to boom (in all senses) in the 21st century.