Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Texas

Post here once you join, and tell us about yourself so we have a clue who we are talking to.
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This sub forum is for new menbers to announce themselves. Try not to create long threads here -- this is just for you to tell us who you are, and for us to say welcome. There are other forums to actually discuss real tech-science things here, and ask questions on. The idea hopefully is to have enough forums and subforums that nothing sci-tech related will be off-topic, there will be a place for it. If I missed something -- let me know, and I'll fix that.

Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Texas

Postby Brent Florey » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:27 pm

Before I get started, I noticed the users that actually announced themselves spiked in the past week and a half after being "dead" for almost 2 years. No clue as to why, but that was just an observation on my part.

Hi there, and it is nice to register and take a look around. I was brought here after seeing the MotherBoard video interview of one "Doug Coulter" making it's rounds on Facebook this morning. So naturally I have been pouring over videos, the channel, this forum, and fusor.net my entire day at work (working IT for the government is boring.) So Mr. Coulter, if you undoubtedly keep tabs on these posts and read this one; Thank you for the inspiration to achieve great things with more than just yourself in mind.

My history is all over the place; public school was uneventful other than high grades and an interest in video games that is (admittedly) borderline addiction. I joined the Marine Corps to get a physical challenge in life (and maybe so much needed "growing up" from my naive mindset) and immediately served as a Reservist, never seeing combat. I've held almost every minimum wage job known to man as I struggled to comprehend that I had Not gone to college and Didn't join the Active side of the military. Eventually I opened my own small business as a web designer/developer and owned that for 3 years before it tanked due to a lack of clients, but I had gotten an appetite for computers as my "calling" since the history in gaming made it easier to appreciate the science behind it all. I also studied Psychology and Philosophy at a community college, but received no degree back then.

Now I work as a civilian contractor in IT. I know Python, some Java, some C# (dabbled in game design) and Android Studio. I am trying to speed through an online Associates degree before I try for a Masters in Cyber Security or some Comp Sci related degree from some no name online college (Its cheaper and also lets me go at my pace, which is usually break-neck). To make up for the useless degree (i consider it so because its just to further my tech career, I'm not to interested in computer maintenance for some other guy.) I study "at" MIT through their OpenCourseware in Artificial Intelligence (a 25 year old is too late to start trying to get accepted to MIT the regular way, especially with a wife and son). My current project is creating a sort of auto-dict AI that allows people like me to absorb knowledge at faster, more efficient speeds so less time is wasted in academia and more time is allowed for application and implementation. I would love to discuss the concepts of AI with anyone, but my own project; you'll understand if I'm reserved about, at least until it's workable so I can look into open-source. I mean, wouldn't it be great if you weren't stuck like me? Trying to learn All the MIT courses and have to go over a lecture multiple times, looking for context and such just to understand a single step in that day's lesson? Maybe we could all learn like Neo in the movie "The Matrix", except by utilizing most of our 5 senses in the most efficient ways possible, in place of a large cable inserted into our skulls.

So again thanks for you reading this, and glad I have the chance to learn here. Maybe I could even give advice back, though it's doubtful since I may one of the younger group on here. Cheers.
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Brent Florey
 
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Re: Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Tex

Postby Doug Coulter » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:34 pm

We'd been invite-only for quite awhile, which kind of explains the time-gap. No one we thought could run with the big dogs was asking, simple as that.
Most of this board is supposed to be something like 'experts writing the book on how the experts do it'. So we didn't want to let the world do that and clutter it up with non-fact, and distracting arguments.

We decided to change that policy when we got hit with yet another case of that vid going viral, and my email and phone # being published.
See: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=1004#p5974

So new guys get to play here and in the play pen, and if we think you rate, we'll either promote you to permanent member or at least make your posts sticky.

Welcome to the toy box. If you treat the toys nice, they're pretty nifty.
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
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Doug Coulter
 
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Location: Floyd county, VA, USA

Re: Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Tex

Postby Brent Florey » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:53 pm

That would indeed explain it, and after reading that post I would have to pragmatically list myself in the "middle-skilled" group. Still, glad you've decided to give the public another chance. I understand how brutal open registration can be with bots and casual-interest parties. Still, appreciate your time all the same I hope I get the chance at the coveted sticky status in the future. AI doesn't seem too far off from some of the other pro's work here, at least in the "difficult to achieve alone" category anyways, so maybe I'll fit in. Thanks all the same.
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Brent Florey
 
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Re: Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Tex

Postby Doug Coulter » Tue Jun 20, 2017 6:11 pm

I have some thoughts on real AI you might find useful. Some time in the past I thought maybe i'd figured out the key structures needed. But I had to decide what to dedicate the rest of my life/resources to, and fusion won, that's all.
NEural nets are a nice sub-part of all this, but not the whole deal, neither is fuzzy logic or a whole host of things that get hyped as AI (even if done right, which isn't happening - you need more precision and fewer neurons and layers, dummies, that research you're ignoring from the '90s was right).

Self referentiality and the evaluation function (similar idea to the old chess playing programs) and the ability to self-script modifications are the key here. It's a whole another line of work that all that stuff now called AI is just useful data reduction for.

Godel, Escher, Bach was kind of useful (and that lysergic acid stuff).
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
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Doug Coulter
 
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Location: Floyd county, VA, USA

Re: Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Tex

Postby Brent Florey » Tue Jun 20, 2017 6:24 pm

"Useful data reduction" is a perfect description. I'm glad to hear you had even a passing interest in the concept, and of course would like to hear your words on the topic some time. But for now Ill stick to building a working product first before I start spouting too much theory on here, so that way something is actually happening, like you say. Thanks for the advice, I completely agree that what I'm being taught is just not the "whole" picture. I will get to you with something for all of you to start testing and playing with.
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Brent Florey
 
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Re: Hello from El Paso (Hell Paso if you're non-native), Tex

Postby Doug Coulter » Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:18 pm

I'll refrain from polluting your thought with my untested and probably poorly formed ones till you get a bit further down the road.
Posting as just me, not as the forum owner. Everything I say is "in my opinion" and YMMV -- which should go for everyone without saying.
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Doug Coulter
 
Posts: 3515
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:05 pm
Location: Floyd county, VA, USA


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