Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!klaatu.rutgers.edu!josh
From: josh@klaatu.rutgers.edu (J Storrs Hall)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: <7749@klaatu.rutgers.edu>
Message-ID: 
Date: 2 Dec 88 04:36:37 GMT
References: <7749@klaatu.rutgers.edu> <193600002@trsvax>  <5590@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 37


    >  Intelligence is the capacity to do actions, make statements,
    >  exercise judgement, believe knowledge, and pay attention.
    >--JoSH

    To which Don Subt replies,
       " ...my computer can do [such] actions... "

    To which Josh replies,
    >I claim that when you say your pc is making statements or 
    >believing knowledge you are using metaphor rather than actually
    >using the words in the basic senses I (and Webster) meant them.

...To which Mark Plutowski replies:
    This is just the point Don was making.  *You* are using
    words erroneously, while Don (et.al.) was using them precisely
    within the context in which we discuss these matters on this net.

If my claim was just the point Don was making, and I used the words 
erroneously, then Don must have used them erroneously.  In fact, Don
was not making a great point, but a joke, complete with ":-)".
Of course, we were actually making opposite points, which is what
you meant to say.  If you were more concerned with "discussing
these matters" and less with mindless repartee, you might have
observed that there is an element of truth on both sides.

You might have seen that the difference between the two
interpretations has a lot to say about the nature of what
we call "intelligence".  Is it the degree of interconnectedness
between the simple mechanical operations that distinguishes
knowledge from data storage, judgement from "if (i>3)"?

I suggest you spend your time considering these questions.
You'll learn a lot more about intelligence that way, than
you will from introspection.

--JoSH