ACAD8023@RYERSON.BITNET.UUCP (07/07/87)
Having read the recent "discussion" regarding the Symbol Grounding Problem, I would have to suggest that I tend to agree with Mr. Harwood. Though the discussion which has taken place on this subject was interesting, it has become, at least to me, tedious and boring. In addition, I think that any- one joining AI-List at this point would find this topic almost impossible to follow, due to the number of references to previous editions of the journal, and due to the highly interactive mode which this discussion has assumed. I do not think that a separate discussion should be started, however, I would suggest that future Symbol Grounding Problem entries be sorted to the bottom of the list. This would allow the list to continue in publishing this important part of AI, and would allow those of us who no longer have the stamina to ponder the implications of blue, green, blue- green, etc., to quit at an appropriate time. Would sorting the list with Symbol Grounding coming at the bottom be very difficult Ken? Tim Daciuk Ryerson Polytechnical Institute Toronto Ontario Canada [That's essentially what I've been doing, although lengthy conference announcements sometimes get sorted even lower. I was holding all of the symbol grounding discussion for the weekend, although that did create some synchronization problems between messages sent to my Arpanet mailbox and replies that went directly to Usenet. I have usually published symbol grounding issues in separate digest issues, making them easier to skip (or save). Usenet readers don't get the benefit of that sorting, of course (but make up for it by eliminating the digesting delay). Sorting to the true "bottom" of an infinite discussion stream would seem a little extreme. -- KIL]