Definitions

I'm always compelled to start blogs, but I suppose it's another thing to maintain them. I'm trying to be more committed to scheduling my time as the number of my hobbies increase.

I suppose you're asking, "Why Ontological Robot?"

A generally unhelpful definition of ontology can be found at Dictionary.com.

Ontology, noun
the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such.

For a better definition of terms philosophical, I usually go to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It's a better explanation, but let's just say I'm trying to work out my ontological commitment by blogging.

Robots, of course, are easy to explain. Even if people don't always like or trust robots, they are undoubtedly cool and an easy hook.

I've always thought that the appeal to Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics was overdone, but I think in this case the third law resonates with me. The three laws, as published in his short story "Runaround"(1942), are as follows:

1) A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

To protect one's own existence while wrestling with the concept of one's existence may be fairly ambitious to start, but I suppose one must start somewhere.