Pleasant@Rutgers.arpa (02/08/83)
HUMAN-NETS Digest Tuesday, 8 Feb 1983 Volume 6 : Issue 8
Today's Topics:
Queries - CrossTalk,
Technology - Networking (2 msgs),
Computers and People - Turing Test (3 msgs) &
Information Systems & Definition of Algorithm,
Humor - VALGOL & Real Programmers
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Date: 31 December 1982 04:01-EST
From: Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE @ MIT-MC>
Subject: CrossTalk
I have heard that CROSSTALK was originally written by Larry Hughes.
I have no confirmation of this. Anyone KNOW the situation?
JEP
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Date: 22 January 1983 04:23 EST
From: Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE @ MIT-MC>
Subject: Personal computers used now in newspaper writing
I can now send in my BYTE columns by computer, although it is a bit
cheaper to send them by mail, given the distance to Hapshire even at
middle of night 300 baud slowness costs....
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Date: 25 Jan 83 13:11-EST (Tue)
From: Steven Gutfreund <gutfreund.umass-coins@UDel-TCP>
Subject: ScienceNet
Does anyone know about ScienceNet? It is due to come up this spring
with many universities and government institutions (NASA, etc.)
It is a mail-only system based on TelNet. I guess my query really
is: Will it be possible to talk to them via ARPA or the CSNET/TELNET
gateway?
- Steven Gutfreund
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Date: 3 Jan 83 19:27:13 EST (Mon)
From: Bruce Israel <israel@umcp-cs>
Subject: Turing Test finally met!
As you are probably all aware, TIME magazine normally reserves its
year-end issue for its man of the year issue. This year, TIME has
chosen the computer for this honor. Since the editors of TIME have
chosen the computer as their ' "man" of the year ', they obviously
cannot distinguish between a computer and a human being. Therefore,
the basic conditions of the Turing test (that an intelligent human
finds a computer indistinguishable from a human being) has been
satisfied.
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Date: Fri 7 Jan 83 19:56:56-PST
From: Richard Treitel <CSL.VER.RJT@SU-SCORE.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Turing Test finally met! :-)
Well, I take exception to Bruce Israel's claim, on rather obvious
grounds (see the penultimate word of the penultimate line of his
message). Moreover (treading on thinner ice here) it can hardly be
claimed that the Turing test has been passed, if there is one human
who cannot be distinguished from a computer by other humans (though
I admit this wasn't what Time magazine was saying ...)
- Richard
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Date: 9 Jan 83 10:47:09 EST (Sun)
From: Andrew Scott Beals <andrew@umcp-cs>
Subject: Re: Turing Test finally met!
Who says that the editors of TIME are intelligent humans?
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Date: 24 Jan 83 14:42-EST (Mon)
From: Steven Gutfreund <gutfreund.umass-coins@UDel-TCP>
Subject: EPCOT and WORLD-KEY information system
I recently visited Disney's EPCOT (Experimental Planned Community Of
Tomorrow) and I recommend taking the time to go there. There are
many things of interest to a Computer Scientist, (or just your
average human-type). But, of particular interest to WORLD-NET
enthusiasts among HUMAN-NETS readers will be the information system:
WORLD-KEY.
WORLD-KEY was designed by "the BELL system" and it basically looks
like there has been some heavy borrowing from DATALAND type systems
like Negraponte's and Christopher Herot's.
All information is basically pictoral and organized as a network.
One can browse via four different perspectives: keyword, context,
physical location, or category. For instance: In physical location
mode, one can wonder around a map of the physical grounds, enter a
pavilion, find a restaurant in the pavilion, then choose to look at
the menu. If one likes what one reads, you can then get a human
operator on the screen and ask her for a reservation, (or any other
questions you may have).
Interface is via a touch sensitive screen. There are many terminals
scattered through EPCOT, all are tied via fiber optics to videodisks
and central computer (honeywell). Videodisks are used because of
their fast random access seek time, and the need for exciting
animation. The Introductory lesson on WORLD-KEY usage is a typical
Disneyism: A Yellow square with a cute voice, no face or body but
big hands, says "TOUCH-ME", and zings around the screen telling you
about the WORLD-KEY features. This sort of animation would have been
very tough if it had to be computer generated. The Video disks allow
them to have high-quality graphics and animation and still support
many terminals.
For many years I have been "soap-boxing" and preaching the DATALAND
approach. So, technically I did not find WORLD-KEY that novel.
Indeed I could see the Bell engineers have a lot to learn, and would
probably benefit greatly by reading WORKS.
Nevertheless, it is extremely satisfying to actually see this
approach out in the public and being used. Indeed, I got many
opportunities to watch people (long lines would form near them).
And even I was impressed at how quickly and skillfully people of all
ages (including a hefty percentage of florida retirees) could master
such a system and were regularly using it for practical purposes.
------
Most of EPCOT is now finished. There still remains some
international exhibits to be built (and HORIZONS: and exhibit about
about space colonies). Some of the exhibits are your typical sit
down and listen while GM tells you how great wheels are. But there
are many standouts: Kodak has computer assisted do-it-yourself
artwork and design, Kraft was into novel agricultural experiments,
etc. and international exhibits like China and Japan are bound to
attract (though they tend to be made mostly of imported stores
staffed by native employees).
All-in-all I heartily recommend the trip, especially if you mix in a
trip to Daytona Beach or the Kennedy Space Center. (Orlando is your
typical burgeoning high-tech area. I went there 4 years ago on a
plant interview and things have skyrocketed since then, I was most
impressed).
Steven Gutfreund
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Date: 15 January 1983 03:24-EST (Saturday)
From: _Bob <Carter at RUTGERS>
Subject: Definition of 'Algorithm'
There is a local BBoard on RU-GREEN called ENGLISH, which tries
to track down the source and meaning of computer-related natural
language. The following entry there might be of general interest to
the readers of HN.
_Bob
The following is the OED entry for 'algorithm.' An attempt is
made here to reproduce in ASCII the typographic content of the
original, using the conventions of SCRIBE. Special pronounciation
key characters and Arabic characters are omitted. Two special
Anglo-Saxon characters are shown as 'th.'
Note that 'algorithm' means something quite different from what
is intended in common usage: A numbering system that employs zero.
It is a man's name. And it is usually mispelled because of
conflation with the root of 'arithmetic.'
@b{Algorism} ... Forms: @g{a.} 3-6 @b{augrim(e, 4 -ym, 5 -ime,
-yme, awgrym, algram, 6 agrym(e, -ime, 7 agrum, algrim.} @g(b.)
4-6 @b{algorisme, 5 -ysme, algarism, 6 algorosme, aulgorimse(e,
augrisme, 7-9 algorism, algorithm.} [a, OFr, @i{augorisme,
algorisme, aurgorime}; ad. med. L. @i{algorism-us} (cf. Sp.
@i{guarismo} cipher), f. Arab. ... @i{al-Khowarazmi}, the
@i{native of Khwarazm Khiva}), surname of the Arab mathematician
Abu Ja'far Mohammed Ben Musa, who flourished early in the 9th c.,
and through the translation of whose works on Algebra, the Arabic
numerals became generally known in Europe. (Cf. '@i{Euclid}' =
plane geometry.) @i{Algorisme} being popularly reduced in OFr.
to @i{augorime}, the English also shows two forms, the popular
@i{augrime}, ending in @i{agrim, agrum}, and the learned
@i{algorism} which passed through many pseudo-etymological
perversions, including a recent @i{algorithm} in which it is
learnedly confused with Gr. @g{arithmos} 'number.']
The Arabic, or decimal system of numeration; @i{hence},
arithmetic. @i{Numbers of algorism}, the Arabic or Italian
numerals. @i{Cypher in algorism}, the figure 0; a 'mere
cipher,' a dummy.
c@b{1230} @i{Ancr. R.} 214 [He] maketh therinne figures
of augrim, ase theor rikenares doth the habbeth muchel uorto
rikenen. @b{1340} @i{Ayenb.} I The capiteles of the boc..
byeth ywryte..by the tellynge of algorisme. c@b{1391} @c{Chaucer}
@i{Astrol.} (1872) 5 Ouer the wiche degrees ther ben nowmbres
of augrym. @b{1393} @c{Gower} @i{Conf.} III. 89 Of arsmetique
the matere Is..What algorisme in nombre amounteth. @b{1399}
@c{Langl.} @i{Rich. Redeless} IV. 53 As siphre..in awgrim,
That noteth a place and no thing availith. @b{1483} @i{Cath.
Ang.}, Algarism (@i{v.r.} Algram); @i{algarismus, abacus}
@b{1530} @c{Palsgr.} 476/2 I cast an accomptes with counters
after the aulgorisme maner. @i{Ibid.} 684/2, I reken, I
counte by cyfers of agrym. @b{1532} @c{More} @i{Conf. Barnes}
VIII. Wks. 1557, 772/1 Mysse-prytynge those fygures of
Algorisme, because the figure of .9. and the figure of .6.
be in all maner one, if thei be contrary turned. @b{1542}
@b{Recorde} @i{Gr. Artes} (1575) 40 Corruptlye written..
Augrim for algorisme, as the Arabians sounde it. @b{1549}
@c{Chaloner} @i{Erasm. Moriae. Enc.) L iij b, Other men
stande for no more than Ciphres in Algorisme. @b{1561}
@c{T. N[orton]} @i{Calvin's Inst.} (1634) Pref. 3, I have..
quoted the Sections also by their due number with the
usual figure of Algorisme. @b{1553-87) @c{Foxe} @i{A.&M.}
III. 265 As a Cypher in Agrime. @b{1566} @c{Drant} @i{Hor.
Sat.} ii. B 2 As well by augrisme tell the gravell of
the sea. @b{1591} @c{Garrard} @i{Art Warre} Good knowledge
in Mathematikes specially in Algarosme, Algebra, and
Geometrie. @b{1593} @b{Peele} @i{Edw. I}, 84 Neither one,
two, nor three, but a poor cypher in agrum. @b{1625}
@c{L'Isle} @i{Du Bartas} 140 The treasures hoard of Algrim
mysteries. @b{1699} @i{Phil. Trans.} XXI. 262 The Indian
Algorism (or Calculation by the Numeral Figures now in use).
@i{Ibid.} 263 The Algorithm or Numeral Figures now in use.
@b{1774} @c{T. Wharton} @i{Hist. Eng. Poetry} 46 The first
who brought the algorithm from the Saracens. @b{1837}
@c{Hallam} @i{Hist. Lit.} I. I. ii. Sec. 30. 114 Matthew
Paris observes tht in Greek..any number may be represented
by a single figure, which is not the case in Algorism.
@b{1852} @c{R. Grant} @i{His. Phys. Astron.} Introd. 9
The ingenious algorithm of the Indians. @b{1861} @c{T. Wright}
@i{Ess. Archeol. II. xv. 70 The figures of the algorismus
are identical in every respect with the characters of the
abacus.
@i{Attrib.} @b{algorism-stones}, counters.
c@b{1386} @c{Chaucer} @i{Millere's T.} 24 His augrym
stoones, leyen faire apart. @g{a} @b{1535} @c{More}
@i{Let.} (J.), I send now to my good daughter Clement her
algorisme stone.
* * *
@b(Algorithm), erron. refashioning of @c{Algorism}.
The Oxford English Dictionary ('OED') is a revision of ''A New
English Dictionary on Historical Principles Founded Mainly on the
Materials Collected by the Philological Society,'' published between
l884 and 1928. It is the principal research dictionary of the
English language. The Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1st
Ed. (basis for the 2d. Ed. and the current 3d. Ed.) is essentially
an abridgement of the OED.
------------------------------
Date: 25 Jan 1983 at 0852-PST
Subject: VALGOL
From: zaumen at SRI-TSC
Re: Ondrya Wolfson's message about VALGOL
It would appear that VALGOL is the first computer language based on
a content-free grammar, as opposed to the more common context-free
grammars.
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Date: 3 February 1983 01:47 EST
From: Richard P. Wilkes <RICK @ MIT-MC>
Subject: Real Programmers
Thought that you all might find this interesting...
'Real Programmers' Don't Eat From Vending Machines
by Jean Tricebock, ComputerWorld Nov 1, 1982
We are all aware now, thanks to the book by the same name,
that Real Men don't eat quiche.
The premise of the book is that a Real Man is the male
individual who successfully copes with all the assaults of
modern society on his sanity, private life, personal space, and
wallet.
Well, all that's fine, but how does all of this relate to
the Real Programmer?
At one time, the Real Programmer worked quietly in his own
provate world, unhindered by the necessity to maintain
congenial interpersonal relations or to explain his work to
some interested party (such as an analyst).
But now the programmer must cope with group leaders,
quality assurance analysts, walk-throughs and performance
reviews, not to mention structured specifications, time-sharing
services, interdepartmental communications, dress for success
and recalcitrant soda machines.
Are you a real programmer?
- Real Programmers don't number paragraph names
consecutively.
- Real Programmers do not grumble about the disadvantages
of Pascal when they don't know any other language.
- Real Programmers print only clean compiles, fixing all
errors through the terminal.
- Real Programmers are kind to rookies.
- Real Programmers are secure enough to write readable
code, which they then self-righteously refuse to explain.
- Real Programmers don't play video games; they write
them.
- Real Programmers do not eat breakfast from vending
machines.
- Real Programmers punch up their own programs.
- Real Programmers have read the standards manual, but
won't admit it.
- Real Programmers don't dress for success unless they are
trying to convince others that they are going on interviews.
- Real Programmers do not practice four syllable words
before walk-throughs.
- Real Programmers argue with the systems analyst as a
matter of principle.
- Real Programmers drink too much coffee so that they will
always seem tense and overworked.
- Real Programmers always have a better idea.
- Real Programmers can do octal, hexadecimal and binary
math in their heads.
- Real Programmers do not write memos.
- Real Programmers do not utter profanities at elevated
decibel levels.
- Real Programmers do not apply DP terminology to non-DP
situations.
- Real Programmers do not read books like Effective
Listening and Communication Skills.
{Tricebock is a systems analyst}
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End of HUMAN-NETS Digest
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