First Journal Entry
Post Date: 2025-01-02
Original Post: LinkedIn
Hi all,
I have decided to start posting some journal entries on my website. The first entry is here:
https://shane.oconnell.cc/journal/2025-01-02-ai-singularity-computer-simulation.html
This journal entry summarizes some of my thoughts on ethics, the coming AI singularity, the possibility that we are actually in a computer simulation, and Palestine. I am not sure if I will actually post very often, but if you want to be notified of updates, the best approach is to subscribe to updates on the GitHub repository that hosts the website. In reality the entire website is my journal, including the source code and HTML comments and all of the pages.
According to LinkedIn statistics, hundreds of people have seen my posts on Palestine, and a handful of people have messaged me in private saying that they agree with me, however very few people have publicly interacted with the posts by commenting or liking them. I suspect that there are many people who agree with my posts but are afraid of receiving the same kind of response that I received. Personally, after I posted about Palestine, my parents and a former coworker wrote official letters describing that they felt my posts were a symptom of a mental illness, and had the police come to my apartment and take me to a mental institution. RapidSilicon contacted me via email and told me my posts were controversial, and ended up contacting LinkedIn and having RapidSilicon forcibly removed as an employer from my LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn also arbitrarily removed one of my posts on Palestine with no explanation. This was a key reason I decided to copy some of the earlier posts to my website.
If you want to follow my website changes without me being aware, the best approach is probably to clone the git repo and periodically synchronize it. As far as I am aware, GitHub does not give me access to the access logs for the git repo. I intend to design the HTML for the website so that it still functions properly if you view the pages directly from a git checkout.
Reply 1 - Shane O'Connell
For the record, I know I have mentioned RapidSilicon in a negative way in this post, and this is something that could harm their reputation. This is something I am reluctant to do in general, because I want people to be able to trust me in the future that I will not do the same thing to them.
In this case I am making an exception because I feel like RapidSilicon harmed my reputation first. By removing the entry from my LinkedIn profile, I now am in the uncomfortable situation of having to explain this to any future employer. Since RapidSilicon's action was a public action, I think it is fair that I should be able to post a public explanation. I have not criticized their products nor implied that the business is not viable, nor have I mentioned any specific employees.
I do understand why they would be uncomfortable being associated with posts that they would consider controversial. I just disagree that they should be considered controversial.
Reply 2 - LinkedIn Connection #8
[This person deleted their post after I replied to it]
Reply 3 - Shane O'Connell
I understand that I am doing something unusual, however in my opinion I am ethically obligated to post about the issue here. My feeling is that if I am aware of a pending murder, have the ability to do something about it, and choose not to, then in a sense I have myself contributed to the murder of that person. Here is a section of the Canadian Criminal Code:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/c-46/section-465.html
"every one who conspires with any one to commit murder or to cause another person to be murdered, whether in Canada or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to a maximum term of imprisonment for life"
My feeling is that what is happening in Gaza is clearly murder. If I have the ability to do something to stop it and choose not to, then in a sense it could be considered that I have "caused another person to be murdered" as stated in the law. I do not want to be guilty of murder, and so to avoid this, I feel that at every opportunity I have to contribute to stopping the murder I am both ethically and legally obligated to take the action to try and stop it. I have a lot of connections on LinkedIn, and I might be able to convince people, so I feel ethically and legally obligated to try.
Reply 4 - Shane O'Connell
I guess the word "conspiracy" implies coordination with others, and also implies there is an intent to commit murder. So maybe it does not exactly apply. However, you could possibly argue that the news media and communications from the people committing the murders are a form of coordination with the murderers. Additionally, it is very difficult to know someone's intent in this situation if they are silent and do not say anything. For example, it could be that there are people purposefully being silent while being aware that there is murdering happening and in their minds they are hoping that the murdering continues. This could be argued as something they are doing intentionally.
It is vague, and maybe realistically nobody would actually be charged a crime. However the laws are based on underlying ethical principles, and I think the ethical principles are clear. I personally want it to be completely obvious that I personally did everything I could think of to try to stop it.
To be absolutely clear, when I saw "the murderers" I am not trying to refer to Israelis. I have for sure seen Israelis on television who definitely seem like they seek a peaceful solution. I want to be friends with those people.
Reply 5 - LinkedIn Connection #8
[This person deleted their original post after I replied to it]