afzal@cui.unige.ch (Afzal Ballim) (09/27/89)
I would like to propose a new group "comp.ai.chinese_room", whose charter
would be as follows:
comp.ai.chinese_room
purpose: to endlessly discuss all aspects of the fascinating field of
"Chinese Room Verbosity," both from the point of view of the
professional Chinese Room contributor, and that of the hobbyist.
Topics would most certainly include (but not be limited to):
* Introduction to the Chinese Room Problem (i.e., "I have just read a
fascinating paper that outlines what must be a serious problem for AI. Has
anyone in AI ever heard of something called the Chinese Room problem?")
* Proofs that the Chinese Room Problem is not a problem.
* Proofs that the Chinese Room Problem is a problem
* Proofs that show that the proofs that showed the Chinese Room Problem not to
be a problem were wrong
* Proofs that show that the proofs that showed the Chinese Room Problem to be
a problem were wrong.
* Counter^N Proofs that show that the Chinese Room Problem may or may not be a
problem depending on whether the world actually exists or not, whether we just
perceive the world to exist, whether our funding comes from DARPA or NSF,
whether Searle is actually a stuffed chair in another possible world, whether
rooms+people+bits_of_paper_with_symbols_on_them form a dynamic comprehension
system, whether rooms+people+bits_of_paper_with_symbols_on_them need seperate
input and output slots, and whether you laughed at the part in the Last
Emperor where he returned to the palace in old age and crossed over the sign
in Chinese and walked through the gardens (for those of you don't have Chinese
Rooms, the sign translates roughly into "Royal Persons only beyond this
point").
* What is a Chinese Room?
* Where can I get one?
* Are there any Chinese Rooms on display somewhere? (Searle's travelling
roadshow? Does he have the Travelling Salesman Problem as well?)
* Care and Feeding of Chinese Rooms
* Discussion of the field -- where it is headed, where it has been, where it
should have been, where it would have been if Searle had been Chinese, where
it will be once somebody begins the whole thing again with a "Have you ever
heard of the Chinese Room Problem?" question.
In keeping with news group policy, the discussion period will last a minimum
of two weeks or until we run out of things to say on the formation of this
important newsgroup, whichever is the longer. At that time I shall make a
call for votes if there has been sufficient interest generated by the
discussion (i.e., no more than half of the subscribers to comp.ai have changed
to rec.futile).
Okay everyone out there in netland. The ball is in your park (or should that
be, "Sorry for kicking that ball into your Chinese Room"?).
--------------------
Afzal Ballim Institut Dalle Molle pour les Etudes Semantiques et Cognitives
University of Geneva
afzal@divsun.unige.chsp299-ad@violet.berkeley.edu (Celso Alvarez) (09/28/89)
In article <347@cui.unige.ch> afzal@cui.unige.ch (Afzal Ballim) writes: >I would like to propose a new group "comp.ai.chinese_room", whose charter >would be as follows: > >comp.ai.chinese_room [description follows] I think its an excelent idea. I've just read this facinating (fascinating? sp?) paper by serle (Serl? Searl?) about this guy in a Chinesse room and he's handed things to translate'n stuff, but he knows no chinese! I think the guy DOES know Chinese though, 'cause how could he translate it if he didn't know Chinese though, 'cause how could he translate it if he knew no Chinese? P.S. Originally written in Chinese. P.P.S. Its just a joke, uh. Celso Alvarez sp299-ad@violet.berkeley.edu
rwojcik@bcsaic.UUCP (Rick Wojcik) (09/30/89)
In article <347@cui.unige.ch> afzal@cui.unige.ch (Afzal Ballim) writes: >I would like to propose a new group "comp.ai.chinese_room", whose charter >would be as follows: > >comp.ai.chinese_room Thanks for your tongue in cheek suggestion, Afzal. I can certainly understand your frustration in seeing these debates go on endlessly, and with a lot of repetition. The Chinese room problem attracts a lot of debate because it is an interesting problem. It serves to focus people's thoughts on the issues. Meanwhile, I suggest that those of you who get glazed eyes simply create a kill file and turn your attention elsewhere. For those who take the creation of special newsgroups as a serious way of siphoning off debates, consider what newsgroups will be cross-posted to from comp.ai.chinese_room. You guessed it--comp.ai. ;-) -- Rick Wojcik csnet: rwojcik@atc.boeing.com uucp: uw-beaver!bcsaic!rwojcik