Alexander:
"No more databases, search engines and browsing subject headings ; I
want to tap into more human knowledge, and for that there's blogs,
comments, podcasts and the *content* of books. So. What do we do next?"
(end)
Alexander, I hope to be able to give you a more substantial response
myself to your piece later on this week, but for now, let me just say I
get really skeptical about what I consider the rather salvific claims of
AI. I know I'm not the only one (again, I don't want to minimize real
RDF advances on the ground, but don't see why controlled subject
headings, for example, should not be a prime consideration here, in some
sense).
No, I'm pretty skeptical. After all, some people *really* want to "tap
into human knowledge". When Marvin Minsky, who heads up the Media Lab
from ever-so-reputable MIT, suggests that increases in AI will soon
allow us to upload the minds of the worlds billions, running them on a
computer that costs only a few hundred dollars - and thereby solving the
world's population problem, I balk just a little bit. :)
Yikes. Give me Thomas Mann and Martha Yee any day (yes - straw man
argument - or not? :) ) - at least they seem to be talking about things
that are real. Go ahead and accuse me of a lack of imagination!
Regards,
Nathan Rinne
Media Cataloging Technician
ISD 279 - Educational Service Center (ESC)
11200 93rd Ave. North
Maple Grove, MN. 55369
Work phone: 763-391-7183
Received on Tue Aug 07 2007 - 06:34:22 EDT