[WikiEN-l] "So fix it." "The next day someone will fix it

[Gwern Branwen]

Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:27:10 -0400
In-Reply-To: <71cd4dd90704010936y9d283carf7b8771a94c07423 at mail.gmail.com>
	(Anthony's message of "Sun, 1 Apr 2007 12:36:59 -0400")
Message-ID: <86ejn4kntd.fsf_-_ at elan.rh.rit.edu>
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Anthony <wikilegal at inbox.org> writes:

> On 4/1/07, Phil Sandifer <Snowspinner at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Apr 1, 2007, at 10:58 AM, Ron Ritzman wrote:
>> > On 4/1/07, Fastfission <fastfission at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> Excerpt from NY Times Magazine, "Questions for Douglas
>> >> Hofstadter", 4/1/07:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Q. Your entry in Wikipedia says that your work has inspired 
      many
>> >> students to begin careers in computing and artificial 
intelligence.
>> >
>> > 1000 quatloos says this was something that "everybody knows".
>> >
>> >> A. I have no interest in computers. The entry is filled with
>> >> inaccuracies, and it kinds of depresses me.
>> >
>> > And of course "everybody" is FOS.
>>
>> There's no contradiction between the two statements, though.
>>
> For that matter, Hofstadter never claimed there was a 
  contradiction.
>
> He said the entry on him "is filled with inaccuracies".  Even if 
  he
> *did* mean to imply that the statement about inspiring many 
   students
> was one of those inaccuracies, he's still claiming there are 
  many
> others.
>
> That said, I just removed the statement about inspiring 
  students, as
> it was anecdotal and lacked sources.  If someone cares to 
  present a
> reliable source which claims that Hofstadter has inspired many
> students to begin careers in computing and AI, feel free to add 
  it
> back with a citation.
>
> So, I fixed it.  Want to make a bet someone comes along and 
fixes it back?
>
> Anthony

It should be fixed back. I urge everyone who is interested in this 
thread to take a look at the Hofstadter talk page where I've been 
working on this since yesterday: there is a Wired interview from 
'95 where Hofstadter himself says that his book has so inspired 
people. It is something "everyone knows" because it has achieved 
the status of cliche; inspiring people is sort of what GEB does.

-- 
Gwern
Inquiring minds want to know.