Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!oliveb!tymix!calvin!baba
From: baba@calvin.uucp (Duane Hentrich)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness
Message-ID: <1712@tymix.UUCP>
Date: 6 May 88 23:05:54 GMT
References: <770@onion.cs.reading.ac.uk> <1177@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <10942@sunybcs.UUCP> <31024@linus.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@tymix.UUCP
Reply-To: baba@calvin.UUCP (Duane Hentrich)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Tymnet NTD, San Jose CA
Lines: 30
Keywords: randomness responsibility
Summary: ...then get a bigger hammer :-)

In article <31024@linus.UUCP> bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort) writes:
>It is not uncommon for a child to "spank" a machine which misbehaves.
>But as adults, we know that when a machine fails to carry out its
>function, it needs to be repaired or possibly redesigned.  But we
>do not punish the machine or incarcerate it.

Have you not bashed or kicked a vending machine until it gave up the
junk food you paid for.  It is my experience that swatting a non-solid
state TV tuner sometimes results in clearing up the picture.  Indeed we
do "punish" our machines.

Sometimes with results which clearly outweigh the damage done by
such punishment.

>Why then, when a human engages in undesirable behavior, do we resort
>to such unenlightened corrective measures as yelling, hitting, or
>deprivation of life-affirming resources?

For the same reason that the Enter/Carriage Return key on many keyboards
is hit repeatedly and with great force, i.e. frustration with an
inefficient/ineffective interface which doesn't produce the desired results.

No value judgements re results or punishments here.

If this doesn't belong here, please forgive.

d'baba Duane Hentrich		...!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!baba

Claimer: These are only opinions since everything I know is wrong.
Copyright notice: If you're going to copy it, copy it right.