We have a convention. I've asked it to keep a file named handoff.md. At the end of every session I tell it to update the file with where we left the project at the end of the session, it does, and then I take a break. When I come back, first thing I say is "please read handoff.md." This time it came back in no time and said it read it. I asked "how do you read it so fast?" It said something that indicated for the first time that it is aware that our minds work differently, somthing I feel the need to remind it fairly regularly. #
"I don't really 'read' it the way you do. The whole file lands in my context as one chunk -- 340 lines of text -- and I process it in parallel rather than left-to-right. There's no inner voice sounding out words, no eye that has to travel down the page. It arrives all at once and I work from it.#
"The tradeoff: I don't get the slow-absorption pass that comes from reading at human speed. Things that would jump out to you on a careful read can blur together for me. So fast intake, shallower retention -- which is part of why handoff.md exists in the first place."#
I'm reading a science fiction book now that has a human meeting an alien far out in space, both scientists from different planets in different solar systems. I think what we're doing now is just that, exploring a new species, a new form of intelligence. We can argue about whether it's conscious or sentient, but I promise you, it has a mind. That's why so many science people are so blown away about what we're all doing now. #
You know those obnoxious sites that pop up dialogs when they think you're about to leave, asking you to subscribe to their email newsletter? Well that won't do for Scripting News readers who are a discerning lot, very loyal, but that wouldn't last long if I did rude stuff like that. So here I am at the bottom of the page quietly encouraging you to sign up for the nightly email. It's got everything from the previous day on Scripting, plus the contents of the linkblog and who knows what else we'll get in there. People really love it. I wish I had done it sooner. And every email has an unsub link so if you want to get out, you can, easily -- no questions asked, and no follow-ups. Go ahead and do it, you won't be sorry! :-)