Ah, well, from observation of just this ML, we can see that `coherent
dialogue' is a rather loosely defined term, itself. I'm not sure memes
as reconstructed have to be all that `coherent' at all for dialogue to
take place. Of course, its all entirely relative. The protocol of
language itself gives us an /immense/ amount of clarity, error checking
and shared assumption for references; after millions of years of
evolution it should.
I'm interested in where things break. Guess I'm just weird that way.
> > misinterpret in `just the right way' and clarify on the new
> > perspective and, in so doing, illuminate the target from another
> > perspective.
>
> That's an interesting way of looking at it.
Its pretty clearly borne when looked at, in almost any public fora you
want to investigate. We throw ideas out, people throw bits back,
changed slightly. We pick it up, examine it, see if it fits better and
reissue. Without others' `breaking' the interpretation, there'd be much
less profit in sharing things publically.
> True, but your confidence should go up through repeated exchanges
> because the probabilities of getting phenomenally lucky multiply.
And in fact, that's what we see.
> ... and I don't have any problems with this either. I guess I'm just
> saying we have to start in the middle (quoting Dennett, I think).
> Abstraction in necessary to make any progress. If we always have to
> figure out underlying mechanisms first, then we'll keep delving down
> to lower and lower levels. I doubt DNA would have been discovered
> if scientists hadn't made a lot of progress on Mendelian genetics
> first.
You guys go up the hierarchy, then; I'll see how deep I can bore. If it
turns out to be self-similar in both directions, we have interesting
results on our hands.
> > Think of it this way ... at least its not a polemic on "neo-cheating"
> > or teaching Manipulation ...
>
> We need another way of saying, "thank God for small miracles". :)
How about `thankyouthankyouthankyou![grovel grovel'?
--
Alexander Williams{thantos@alf.dec.com/zander@photobooks.com}
The Mekton is a powerful tool, both physically and emotionally.
There is something that happens to an enemy when he sees his home
and family stepped on by a hundred ton metal man. -- Arkon Verian
====================================================================
Of all the weapons of the Empire, the greatest and most respected
were the Metal Knights. These Knights had served the leaders of the
Bendar for Generations, righting wrongs and bringing fear to the
Empire's Enemies. It is said that these metal giants were shaped
like men so that the alien servants of Evil would know that it was
Man who defeated them.
-- Scribings from the Murian Archives