Re: Probability of this and that...blah blah blah

From: Matt Stewart (rotaerk@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu May 29 2003 - 20:59:45 MDT


I concede your statement that it was a belief. However, of course, everything you "know" is a belief. When one is trying to proove a point, the evidence must support it. My problem was not with you. It is with the arguments some people have been making based on guesses and feelings. I'm sorry I used a specific example. I aim to be constructive. Using these quotes as examples may have been more pride-injuring than critically constructive. I apologize. However I ask that people stop "estimating" a comparison between probabilities that are not connected in the argument.
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Mark Waser
  To: sl4@sl4.org
  Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 10:40 PM
  Subject: Re: Probability of this and that...blah blah blah

  Stewart >> The probability that these people know the probabilities they claim to is probably small.

  Repeat of myself >> I believe that the probability of success of such is much less than the probability of a big problem if you don't get as many eyes as possible on
  the original project.

  I made no such claims. I stated a belief and clearly labeled it as such. I could come up with some supporting evidence for my belief but nothing that I would want to claim as definitive or conclusive.

  That said, what exactly is your problem? Why was my statement "unbearable"?
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Matt Stewart
    To: sl4@sl4.org
    Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 9:33 PM
    Subject: Probability of this and that...blah blah blah

    "I'm afraid the chances of uber machines destroying the world is far far
    smaller than the chances of you just being off your medication." - Barkley Vowk

    "I don't have any faith in a small INBRED group of people going off and
    trying to whip something together without any mistakes when any mistake
    could be fatal in the biggest way possible. I want as many eyes as possible
    on the project. Yes, the more people who see it, the better the possibility
    that people might steal the ideas and try to go for an illegal AI but I
    believe that the probability of success of such is much less than the
    probability of a big problem if you don't get as many eyes as possible on
    the original project." - Mark Waser

    The probability that these people know the probabilities they claim to is probably
    small. Many people seem to be writing arguments supported by comparisons
    between the probabilities of events they know nothing about (Barkley would seem
    to be joking in his statement, however it didn't seem so after reading the previous
    posts from him). Certain cases where probabilities can effectively be contrasted
    are fine and dandy, but these posts recently have gotten out of hand .

    I have never posted before now. I prefer to just read, but some of these posts
    by some people have gotten unbearable.

    Matt Stewart (Rotaerk)

    P.S. I am not just picking on Vowk and Waser. There have been plenty other cases.



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