Notices by VulcanTourist (vulcantourist@mastodon.social), page 2

@HistoPol @Stoori @MaJ1

The latter of which was one of several qualities that drew me to computing 45 years ago, so yes, that too. I already recognized the limits of my own recall even then, long before a diagnosis decades later.

@Stoori @HistoPol @MaJ1

Considering that artificial "intelligence" is now fulfilling all my depressing (and terrifying) predictions for it, I would not want to have my intellect compared to it.

The only strength of silicon-based processing is SPEED, speed of signal transmission.

@HistoPol @MaJ1

It applies best to pragmatic things and visual and spatial challenges, perhaps. I don't know that it has any specific limits. It's reined-in somewhat by a diagnosed memory deficit that ultimately doomed me to being a jack-of-all-trades because I can't rote-memorize well enough to specialize... in ANYTHING.

@HistoPol @MaJ1

When I was younger and still prone to making attempys to socialize, I had an unconscious habit of seeking out the odd and the outliers (of a sort). It seems I prefer my friends as I prefer humor: full of surprises that can catch me off guard.

Neurotypical people generally lack the ability to do that. They're boring and predictable.

@HistoPol @MaJ1

In spite of their fame and success, I think I still have license to disagree with Grandin or Vermeulen. My life experience has been that it's trivially easy for me to learn new things, apparently much easier than for neurotypical people. I'm a so-called "quick study".

I didn't exploit that in life, no more than I succeeded in exploiting any of my other strengths, but it's nevertheless true for me and contrary to what Grandin says of herself. Not a good generalization.

@HistoPol @MaJ1

FYI, he has a Twitter/X account, but nothing I could find on Mastodon:

@Peter_Autisme

@HistoPol @MaJ1

Well @HistoPol, I've been trying to nudge my friend for several days into sharing some information with you, but he has unexpectedly been more reluctant than I anticipated and seems very unlikely to be creating a Mastodon account to facilitate it.

The best I could get out of him was specific mention of Peter Vermeulen and one or more of his books. The originals may not be in English, so you might have to wait for translations. Searching for those might be a next step.

@iquaanyin @ryanhoulihan

Have you ever been in the position of communicating instructions to a computer system? Programming languages must be inflexible for a reason. The misuse *ahem* flexibility of spoken human languages comes at considerable cost: misunderstanding. If the same literary license was attempted with a computer, the result would be comparable or worse.

The less effort humans use to communicate precisely, the worse the misunderstandings.

@ryanhoulihan

Building codes and language are more similar than you recognize or admit. Building codes establish a framework of rules - a SYNTAX - that seeks to avoid misunderstanding (a structure with unusual construction for sale to a buyer who doesn't know or understand the particulars). Language serves the same purpose: a framework and syntax that seeks to establish a PREDICTABLE baseline to avoid misunderstanding. Linguistic anarchy doesn't serve that goal well.

@ryanhoulihan

Let's just do away with building codes and let builders wing it, shall we? I'm sure that all the upwardly mobile home buyers will appreciate that.

Prescriptive standards, methods, and processes matter enormously in this densely populated age. Leaving language to the wolves just because we can't collectively agree how to shepherd it is foolish. Ethics are prescriptive, too, and we're failing miserably at establishing universally accepted human rights (and responsibilities).

@letsbekind2 @ryanhoulihan

That word doesn't mean what you imply that it means. Your definition isn't kosher.

@ryanhoulihan

The story of how that came to be over centuries, prior to events of the last decade or so, might be an example of linguistic anarchy that we must abandon if we hope to approach Kardashev Type 1. There's good reason that we have standards bodies for nearly everything else outside of language evolution. Ethics are prescriptive; why should evolution of the language used to communicate "them" not also be prescriptively guided?

@HistoPol @MaJ1

I have an acquaintance who consumes more of it routinely than I, but he lacks a Mastodon presence. I will ask him what he's seen recently (and perhaps promote Mastodon). I'm prone to not following through (duh), so permission to nag is always granted.

@HistoPol @MaJ1

https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/intense-world-theory-raises-intense-worries/

@aral @aram

I don't know how you managed that result on your mobile device, but with Firefox and several security extensions on a desktop system I get no such result. Allowing JavaScript from just the primary wgme.com domain and a couple other previously trusted domains, The text and header image of the article renders and is fully readable.

WGME appears to be a Maine OTA TV station, and the article originated from the Bangor Daily News:

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/08/07/news/penobscot/known-neo-nazi-building-training-ground-in-springfield-joam40zk0w/