Synopsis
This is the story of how humans have created new forms of "life" in computer programs that act autonomou sly and how these developments are changing the relationship between humans and technology. '
From the Author
The Bots Just Keep On ComingI finished writing the last draft of Bots in the middle of February, 1997. I worried that parts of it would become obsolete almost immediately -- life moves fast in cyberspace. Although the book strives to focus on the cultural and historical implications of bot use, rather than get bogged down in the technicalities, still I feared that my heavy focus on developments of just the last few years might become dated, all too fast.
However, as I started reporting a new story on Spam for the magazine at which I am currently employed as technology correspondent -- Salon -- I became a little less fearful. Certainly, new bots are appearing by the handful every day. But the basic issues are the same, and in some cases, the same people that I write about in the book are still very much involved in the fray. Bots are both being used and abused. They are getting cleverer, and passions regarding their use continue to rise. I hope this means that my book will hold up as a useful source of context for contemporary developments for at least the next little while.
