<WJhonson(a)aol.com> wrote in message
news://news.gmane.org/d55.57c09b43.37c33b60@aol.com...
In a message dated 8/23/2009 4:53:57 AM Pacific
Daylight Time,
brewhaha(a)freenet.edmonton.ab.ca writes:
The search for "bees" and
"flowers" suggests "pollination". I do not see
anything mindless about that. That is a human association>>
-----------------
You're not understanding me. An article discussing bees and mentioning
that they pollinate flowers IS a human association. I didn't say it
wasn't.
However the meta-network of *all* such associations to the nth degree of
relatedness is not something a human can encompass in one bite. That's
one
thing.
What I was stating is that this meta-network itself, is created by a
computer algorithm, which ITSELF has no mind. It has no idea what the
terms mean,
or refer to, or imply. It only knows that they are associated in some
way.
It creates this meta-network and ranks the associations in a mindless way,
i.e. without comprehension. That's what I meant.
People maintain the database (or meta-network, as you call it)--a collection
of
data and pointers, of words and associations. It is not important that the
machine
has no comprehension of links (pointers) in the database or eigenvectors
that
it is calculating. As long as human input is reprezented in that database,
there is a
foundation. Yes, it is a mechanical process, like anything on computers,
complete
with errors and an incomplete understanding of idiom. The point is that it
delivers
the impression of a smart search.
_______
Cat Zen Master: What is the sound of one paw slashing?