We have already traded enough freedom for security. We wage war in the name of liberation and freedom and we turn around and do the opposite at home. This trade has diminishing returns and to me the gains are quite low. Just look at China and Russia. Are these the societies we should strive for? And in regards to this particular project... why doesn’t google do this in their own country, let’s see how it would play out in their own backyard.
There is something to be said about the creative process and how the body of work is expressed and interpreted. How can a machine be creative if it doesn't understand emotion? It may know how to provoke an emotional response but its doubtful it can comprehend and empathize without having true human emotions itself. And it is impossible for us to truly confirm how a machine might be feeling let alone what another human is feeling. These types of questions are thought provoking but often lead to no answers. We can't even confirm if we are real or not. Creativity in itself is hard to define. And when we try and answer these type of questions we are usually making assumptions which may be completely wrong.
Market average is dependent on where you live. A large raise usually never comes unless you are changing job descriptions. It sounds like you work for a small company which likely can't afford giant leaps in pay. I have always found the best way to increase your rate is to move to a different company. Your criminal record is a hit and miss, some companies care some don't. It also depends on industry and size of the company. A small company is less inclined to spend the money on a criminal record check. Your rate is also dependent on your co-workers. Most places pay equal wages for the same position so there isn't any fighting over wage. I think your criminal record becomes less important with the more industry experience you have. the more desirable your skill set it the less likely they will nit pick over small criminal offenses. You should interview other places (at least 2) to get a sense of how others value your skill set. Its also worth looking into how to be pardoned for your criminal offense. If it happened a long time ago you may be eligible for a pardon, it may be costly but well worth it.
so when you forgive someone you never forget? Sure you list some good examples to remember but there are far more reasons to forget. To remember should be meaningful. Should anything other people believe to be bad always be remembered of you? If this was the case everyone would hate everyone.
I also use the latter, I like to see the bigger picture to have context on the smaller details. Sometimes I find the details can be boring if it lacks overall context.