> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:34:50 -0700> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: > [email protected]> Subject: Re: Wise men and the elephant> > On > Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 5:42 AM, Todd Walton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> > On > Tue, Mar 25, 2008 at 2:34 PM, Bob La Quey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> > > > Agreed. Let's try and figure out what programming is,> > > and what problem > it is trying to solve. I would be> > > satisfied with a decent statement of > that.> >> > Translating? Making human wants known to the machine. > Successfully> > writing out what you want the machine to do, in the > machine's> > language. So, programming is inherently functional. We don't > program> > computers to tell them we love them or just to say, "I had a > good> > day". We program to make something happen. Programming is action.> > >> > Though I suppose sometimes, when we program, we're just stating facts.> > > But always facts relevant to what we're about to tell the computer to> > > do.> >> > So... programming is telling a machine what to do? Seems pretty> > > straightforward.> >> >> >> > -todd> > If it is so straight forward then > why is it so hard to do?> > I think it is because we do not know how to do it > well.> Which goes back to the fact that despite your statement> do not know > what it is we are trying to do or how to do it.> Its hard to do because > computers can't assume or apply outside knowledgeLets try giving a simple > command to an imaginary 3 year old. "Get me that red book over there". > Simple command. Should be easy. However, to run the instruction the child > makes a huge number of assumptions and uses of outside knowledge:1)He has to > know what a book is2)He has to recognize objects as books3)He has to know > what red is, and recognize a red book4)He has know where "there" is5)He has > to know how to walk to the red book6)He has to know that to get an item, you > must pick it up and bring it back7)He has to know how to pick an item up8)He > has to know how to carry it9)He has to walk back10)If there are more than 1 > red book, he has to guess which one or ask for clarificationA computer can't > assume any of that. This is both a blessing and a curse- it makes > programming it more difficult, but also deterministic- it can't make the > wrong guess or assumption.Gabe _________________________________________________________________ Going green? See the top 12 foods to eat organic. http://green.msn.com/galleries/photos/photos.aspx?gid=164&ocid=T003MSN51N1653A
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