Re: Global wireless hotspot

On Tue, Feb 05, 2008 at 08:44:49PM -0700, Fred J. McCall wrote:
Wallace Wright <wwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

:On Mon, Feb 04, 2008 at 07:37:19AM -0700, Fred J. McCall wrote:
:> Wallace Wright <wwright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
:> :
:> :I think I know what you're saying, and maybe it's true for some people, but
:> :there is progress ongoing in these fields as can be seen in the literature.
:> :
:>
:> There is always 'progress', but that doesn't necessarily mean much.
:> Twenty years ago there was lots of talk about how AI was finally
:> mature and taking off in applications all over the place. It didn't
:> happen.
:
:Step back from that exponential curve a bit and the 'delay', so to speak,
:will dissapear in the noise.
:

Compare that 'delay' to the history of computers and it is
significant.

This becomes a matter of opinion; we're better at backwards chaining from
sparse initial conditions, and even though the expectations we had of AI in
the Seventies were overly optimistic, that is still only fifty to one
hundred years from the beginning of mechanized computing. If the delay
approaches a figure significant to the scale of human time-keeping, that
really shouldn't matter much except to those who have a pathological
anthro-centric view of the world.

:> :The gap in content seen in Usenet as compared to the publications in
:> :relevant scientific fields is significant, so don't base your assumptions
:> :entirely on the basis of what you read here.
:>
:> Why would anyone do that?
:>
:
:It's sometimes known as a spoiling action in warfare. In the context of
:Usenet, it's fairly common but since the pratise is so widespread it defies
:simple explanations. Nevertheless, the difference exists and many people
:are seen to self-censor their writing in this regard. I do it as well, of
:course, but being a latecomer to the Internet it is more a matter of doing
:as the Romans do for the sake of getting along with an older community.
:

Jesus, man, it's only Usenet!

Then this is also just another matter of opinion. While many or most
Usenet groups are clearly intended to fill the need of recreational
discussions, there are still many serious fields represented in various
newsgroups. In my admittedly limited experience I have yet to encounter
more than a few discussions where the subject matter at issue is treated
with the same care and attention that is seen in serious publications. I
am not advocating that Usenet should be turned into a space where
journal-quality articles are the price of admission, but it is siginficant
that there is so much resistence and disruption within groups where serious
discussion could occur. The trolls seem just a little too aggressive, a
little too dilligent in their efforts to spoil these public spaces to be
explained away as the natural result of adult men and women interacting
while unsupervised.

I have come to the conclusion that there are organized disruptive forces at
work on the Internet who view it as something of a conquest or as a threat
to their politics. Hence the attacks that limit it's usefulness.

No, I meant why would anyone base ANYTHING on what they read on
Usenet?

There's no law sayin they should, but I can see no compelling reason why
anyone _should not_ take arbitrary information from Usenet as the basis for
further thought or action. Obviously one should avoid utter garbage, but
people do that as a matter of course elsewhere in their lives so why should
Usenet be different?


Wallace Wright

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Global wireless hotspot
    ... :>:Step back from that exponential curve a bit and the 'delay', so to speak, ... :This becomes a matter of opinion; we're better at backwards chaining from ... Several decades is an appreciable part of the history of computing. ... :>:Usenet, it's fairly common but since the pratise is so widespread it defies ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Global wireless hotspot
    ... :>:Step back from that exponential curve a bit and the 'delay', so to speak, ... :This becomes a matter of opinion; we're better at backwards chaining from ... Several decades is an appreciable part of the history of computing. ... :Usenet groups are clearly intended to fill the need of recreational ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Global wireless hotspot
    ... :>:there is progress ongoing in these fields as can be seen in the literature. ... Compare that 'delay' to the history of computers and it is ... :Usenet, it's fairly common but since the pratise is so widespread it defies ...
    (sci.space.policy)
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    ... It didn't matter that I ... >his school, as he is a math professor at Oklahoma State University, I ... And it won't just stay on Usenet ... Exactly how has anyone here tried to interfere ...
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  • Re: Global wireless hotspot
    ... :> It's not a matter of opinion. ... :> Several decades is an appreciable part of the history of computing. ... :>:Usenet groups are clearly intended to fill the need of recreational ... :> who actually invented the language. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
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