> Ok, lets assume that one of us is *first*. So what?
>
> I have had the opportunity over the last 12+ years, particularly the
> last 2 years, to spend much of my time by myself. I suspect this
> would contrast significantly to most list members unless they are
> living out in the woods someplace. Many years ago, I also spent
> some time in an isolation tank. These types of experiences are
> revealing (and almost required) for a proper discussion regarding
> the situation of "being the first". As a general comment on my
> experiences, I would say that I suspect humans have relatively strong
> drives for not being alone.
Humans yes, but we're talking about Posthuman Powers here; you can't just project our hopes, fears and limitations on them (except, presumably, the most basic ones like rationality and the survival drive).
> I agree that this has the odor of being an altruistic "nice" idea.
Yep...either that or a severe lack of imagination. ;-)
> But, can anyone paint me a picture of themselves post-uploading with
> clear descriptions of what they intend to do (potentially by themselves)
> for the next trillion years?
I'll gladly leave that to my future self. Not my problem. And should no god-like inspiration be forthcoming (which I rather doubt), I could create all sorts of virtual worlds, in which I, or rather a *part* of me, could interact with any number of virtual characters or other parts of me, with or without me "knowing" it (gives a whole new meaning to phrases like "playing with yourself" or "go fuck yourself", eh?), and have lots of fun. I could have Medievalworld, Westworld, Romanworld, Futureland, Disneyland etc. etc. My "recreational" persona wouldn't know pain, sorrow or boredom, unless that was part of the game. Oh, and other parts of me would be keeping an eye on the universe, of course, and learning as much about it as possible.