Ivy/The Archive and digital information

[Magnus]

In the latest Q&A I saw. Someone asked Jim Butcher if Ivy was receiving digital information as well.
The answer was that yes she is and that she wasn't built for it.
Also that we will see the repercussions of it.

So what do you think will happen with Ivy/The Archive due to this?

[DonBugen]

Ivy is, what, sixteen now? An adolescent. And adolescents already have enough going on with hormones and teen problems. It's literally one of the most emotionally trying parts of a person's life.

Add to that, we don't know for sure yet if she knows that Harry asked Kincaid to kill him after Ivy wasn't able to help him rescue his daughter. More area for irrational self-hate.

Saying "she wasn't built for it" means that she's trying to handle something which no previous archive ever had to, in an emotionally vulnerable state, when the two people she loves and cares for most have literally made the last few years a nightmare.

Poor kid.

It's enough to drive anyone a little insane.

[wardenferry419]

Well, if the internet influences her behavior; then, Ivy will become an overly-sensitive, paranoid anarchistic with kinky sex tendencies.

[Mira]

 
   Fake news, conspiracy theories, any crack pot can write a blog, these are problems for ordinary mortals that get their information from one source or with one that they agree with.   I can see no problem for the Archive, but for very human Ivy....

[forumghost]

It's something that's been mentioned before (Seriously, why does everyone at these cons ask the same 5 questions?) but IIRC she's having to deal with so much more information then The Archive was ever intended to handle thanks to the Internet.

This could lead to any number of things; On the more physical side, she could wind up finding she can't process the sheer amount of Data anymore (like a Computer without enough HDD Space) On the emotional/mental side, she could wind up not being able to cope with, as Jim put it "Sooo Muuuch Pooorn". On the bizarre side, she could end up like that Twitter bot Microsoft put out that became a Nazi, or maybe catch a Virus (from all that porn) and wind up Quacking Like a Duck until Kincaid can figure out how to upload BitDefender into a Human Brain.

[Snark Knight]

On the bizarre side, she could end up like that Twitter bot Microsoft put out that became a Nazi

I was just thinking of that one! RIP Tay, you had a good 24 hours.

[Mira]

It's something that's been mentioned before (Seriously, why does everyone at these cons ask the same 5 questions?) but IIRC she's having to deal with so much more information then The Archive was ever intended to handle thanks to the Internet.

This could lead to any number of things; On the more physical side, she could wind up finding she can't process the sheer amount of Data anymore (like a Computer without enough HDD Space) On the emotional/mental side, she could wind up not being able to cope with, as Jim put it "Sooo Muuuch Pooorn". On the bizarre side, she could end up like that Twitter bot Microsoft put out that became a Nazi, or maybe catch a Virus (from all that porn) and wind up Quacking Like a Duck until Kincaid can figure out how to upload BitDefender into a Human Brain.

 I think the biggest problem for her will be the same one that everyone has, what is true and what is false information? I can see someone like Nic using a blog to great advantage spreading lies left right and center..  Supposedly the Archive records everything written but does that include the lies as well as the truth?  If it makes no distinction that can become a huge problem for it just as it has for people who's only source of information is the net...

[Kindler]

 I think the biggest problem for her will be the same one that everyone has, what is true and what is false information? I can see someone like Nic using a blog to great advantage spreading lies left right and center..  Supposedly the Archive records everything written but does that include the lies as well as the truth?  If it makes no distinction that can become a huge problem for it just as it has for people who's only source of information is the net...

Speaking of Nic, she knows all of the information in those records that Nic destroys every few centuries. And could probably tell me if the Voynich Manuscript was a hoax.

I'd assume she knows all of the lies AND the truth, but that's not really a new problem; yellow journalism has been a thing since town criers stood on street corners, but you're right that the sheer volume of false information virtually guarantees that she can be misled now, which is an interesting prospect to me. It's not like Harry would be able to explain 4Chan to her.

And what about her role in the Oblivion war? How could she possibly delete information that's being spread through Twitter at the speed of stupid (several times faster than the speed of light)? Hell, a bunch of low-level talents might be able to summon Old Ones if they get their hands on enough retweets.

[DonBugen]

I do worry about her main purpose and function as the brain behind the Oblivion War.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there's a WOJ on what would happen if Ivy died without a descendant ready to take on the Archive?

I mean, when the current Archive dies, it's "mantle" (for lack of a better term) goes somewhere . If there's no ready recepticle, does it die out?

Does it pick a new recepticle?

Does its knowledge just go to everyone, like Lois Lowry's book The Giver?

And what happens to the Oblivion War if information that no one should know... is suddenly known by everyone?


Edit: By the way, I stand by the idea that Ivy's probably just hanging by on a few fragile strings. Remember that not too long ago, she went through some absolutely horrific levels of abuse and torture at the hands of the Denarians, and was recovered cold and naked on the Island.  Jim's porn joke has a really dark edge to it: there's a lot of stuff on the Internet that is probably just like what she went through. Uploaded daily, no less. I can't understand how anyone could go through that, be constantly reminded of it, and not want to just let go.

Poor kid.

[Firestarter]

I do worry about her main purpose and function as the brain behind the Oblivion War.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there's a WOJ on what would happen if Ivy died without a descendant ready to take on the Archive?

I mean, when the current Archive dies, it's "mantle" (for lack of a better term) goes somewhere . If there's no ready recepticle, does it die out?

Does it pick a new recepticle?

Does its knowledge just go to everyone, like Lois Lowry's book The Giver?

And what happens to the Oblivion War if information that no one should know... is suddenly known by everyone?


Edit: By the way, I stand by the idea that Ivy's probably just hanging by on a few fragile strings. Remember that not too long ago, she went through some absolutely horrific levels of abuse and torture at the hands of the Denarians, and was recovered cold and naked on the Island.  Jim's porn joke has a really dark edge to it: there's a lot of stuff on the Internet that is probably just like what she went through. Uploaded daily, no less. I can't understand how anyone could go through that, be constantly reminded of it, and not want to just let go.

Poor kid.

Actually, the common visible stuff wouldn't really be a problem. Wonder what's worse? Ever heard about "red rooms"?

Or darknet forums where people exchange information about how they intentionally infect other people with AIDS? And a lot more.

[Mira]

Actually, the common visible stuff wouldn't really be a problem. Wonder what's worse? Ever heard about "red rooms"?

Or darknet forums where people exchange information about how they intentionally infect other people with AIDS? And a lot more.

For all the wonderful enlightenment and friendships the net has brought people, there is also a very dark underbelly that has trapped the unwitting and been a boon for the scum of this world...   

[Snark Knight]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if there's a WOJ on what would happen if Ivy died without a descendant ready to take on the Archive?
I mean, when the current Archive dies, it's "mantle" (for lack of a better term) goes somewhere . If there's no ready recepticle, does it die out?
Does it pick a new recepticle?

There's no WOJ I'm aware of to settle that. Personally, I suspect it jumps to the next nearest cousin in the founding Archive's bloodline, but that's just a guess.

[Firestarter]

There's no WOJ I'm aware of to settle that. Personally, I suspect it jumps to the next nearest cousin in the founding Archive's bloodline, but that's just a guess.

Well either that or Ivy is immortal [ in the sense "She won't die in this series." - Jim isn't really George R. R. Martin who keeps saying, that if his fans won't stop asking about when the next book is coming out, he'll kill another Stark ].

And killing Ivy would inevitably introduce a possibly adult character, who already has had childhood and teen years. Ivy's tragedy is a lot more interesting than most other types of character would bring, so killing her off is of little literary value.

[pcpoet]

I think that the internet could be what starts the disaster of the three book trilogy.....remember when something gets on the internet it is impossible  to get rid of. imagine one of the books about worship of an elder good were put on the internet.  according to how the oblivion war works the more people who know about the elder god the more powerful it is and the easier time it has showing up on are plane of existence. now imagine IVY  trying to fight an elder god that has been connected to an internet meme.

[Firestarter]

LOL that would turn Anonymous into the true Final Boss of the Internet >.>