perm filename F77.OUT[LET,JMC] blob
sn#331749 filedate 1978-01-29 generic text, type C, neo UTF8
COMMENT ⊗ VALID 00003 PAGES
C REC PAGE DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00002 00002 ∂15-Jan-78 2241 JMC
C00177 00003 ∂06-Jan-78 1017 JMC
C00178 ENDMK
C⊗;
∂15-Jan-78 2241 JMC
To: JMC
8am blood
∂13-Jan-78 1649 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
4:30 is ok with me.
∂12-Jan-78 1350 JMC
To: JMB
Let me suggest that you move COLLOQ.TXT to the directory [INF,CSD].
∂12-Jan-78 1026 JMC
To: HPM
CC: JBR, LES
I sympathize and suspect the changes are unnecessary.
∂11-Jan-78 2112 JMC
To: LLL
At 11 on Tues. and Thurs. I have classes. 1pm on Thurs. is ok.
∂11-Jan-78 1535 JMC
To: BS
OK, do it.
∂11-Jan-78 1127 JMC
To: LLL
Please send a note to senior faculty.
∂09-Jan-78 2231 JMC
To: LLW
Any facts on Kevlar or other light weight oxygen bottles?
∂09-Jan-78 2227 JMC
To: TOB
Ask Les.
∂09-Jan-78 2214 JMC
To: TOB
Sure, if you have the money.
∂09-Jan-78 1358 JMC Baskett
To: DPB
Please notify the senior faculty and especially the members of the A and P
Committee that Forest Baskett called and said that he has an attractive
job offer and that Stanford must come up with a tenure offer if he is to
return. He will send a letter.
∂08-Jan-78 1235 JMC
To: pratt at MIT-AI
How can you be reached by phone?
∂08-Jan-78 1056 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Carl Hewitt a new copy of the LISP history.
∂07-Jan-78 2051 JMC
To: PAT
Did I send a letter to Ito certifying that he was a student here?
∂07-Jan-78 1204 JMC LOTS Manuals
To: DPB
When I heard about the nonexistence of LOTS manuals, I thought it was Ralph's
fault, but inquiry shows that it is merely an institutional crack into
which things fall. Ralph only learned that the Bookstore was out of
manuals that day. The Bookstore only learned that manuals would be
required on that day. For the future let me request that courses
requiring LOTS manuals list them on the form they send to the Bookstore
just the same as any other books. This will permit the requirements for
courses to be added to the ongoing requirements in an orderly way. The
situation should ease somewhat when the new Bookstore construction is
completed, because they now refuse to keep the stocks of manuals claiming
lack of storage space.
∂06-Jan-78 2221 JMC Imlac fixed.
To: TED
The trouble was a feature toggled by <ctrl><esc> that changed the function
of <ctrl>. PMF put it in for RWW and forgot about it, and I toggled it
accidentally.
∂06-Jan-78 1450 JMC j,pat
To: PAT
I assume, since it has been modified recently, that biojmc is your
current biography of me. If not it can be deleted. I have deleted
all the files I want to, except for solcom.s76, which is protected.
If it is the solutions to a CS206 exam or another of my courses, I
want it moved to 206,jmc. If it is a qual, as was the other exam,
it can be deleted. I have moved a couple files to my directories.
∂06-Jan-78 1015 JMC
To: BS
The 90th percentile by rank was also wanted.
∂05-Jan-78 1832 JMC
To: TED, PMF
Replacing the board leaves the problem unchanged.
∂03-Jan-78 1022 JMC
To: SGK
The lab secretaries can give you your passport.
∂02-Jan-78 2129 JMC
To: SGK
I found it and will bring it in.
∂02-Jan-78 1146 JMC faculty meeting agenda
To: DPB
What items do you know of for that agaenda?
∂02-Jan-78 1119 JMC
To: JB
That was HPM in the unlikely event that he is too modest to admit it.
∂01-Jan-78 2159 JMC
To: TED
The <ctrl> key doesn't work on my Imlac.
∂01-Jan-78 0945 JMC
To: MRC
The problem was that <ctrl> on my Imlac no longer works.
∂01-Jan-78 0019 JMC
To: MRC
Have you "improved" TN so that <ctrl><meta>q doesn't work?
∂29-Dec-77 1151 JMC
To: HVA
Thanks, Hershe.
∂28-Dec-77 1142 JMC
To: REF
I suggest you invite Stark to give a talk on his decidability results
in axiomatizatio of knowledge
Stark, Richard 325-6647, 325 Grant St., Palo Alto Apt. 35,
Dept. of Math., San Jose State
∂27-Dec-77 1920 JMC
To: DPB
Sure, why not? Apropos of yours of 22 Dec.
∂27-Dec-77 1917 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
Lawyers for Atari were collecting it, in connection with a patent infringement
suit by Magnavox, which Magnavox won. More recently, a lawyer for Fairchild
was collecting similar material. He seemed to think that Atari hadn't defended
itself very well, and Fairchild would do better. The last activity I heard of
was about a year ago. I might be able to dig up the name of the Fairchild
lawyer if you want me to.
∂27-Dec-77 1913 JMC
To: JJK
No, not satisfactory.
∂15-Dec-77 1823 JMC
To: RWW
I do have your copy of Gentzen. Back soon, most likely tonight.
∂14-Dec-77 2124 JMC
To: RCM, bmoore at SRI-KL
Yes, please bring in the McC-Sato paper and give it to Patte to copy.
∂14-Dec-77 1427 JMC
To: REF
Could you write to Rieger and ask for better documentation? If his description
of how it works is consistent with the hypothesis that the fluid is water,
then his description is probably wrong, because almost certainly water
won't work.
∂13-Dec-77 2228 JMC Your eval.
To: carl at MIT-AI
I have looked, and it contains side effects which is not at all
in the spirit of the original version of LISP - hence not acceptable.
Moreover, there seem to be bugs. For example, it would seem that
in the definition of eval←cond, the first cdr should be cdar.
I tried to run it in MACLISP, but it didn't seem to know about CAR.
∂13-Dec-77 2157 JMC
To: PAT
∂29-Nov-77 0811 FTP:CARL at MIT-AI (Carl Hewitt)
Date: 29 NOV 1977 1110-EST
From: CARL at MIT-AI (Carl Hewitt)
To: jmc at SU-AI
John:
Could you please have your secretary send a copy of your paper to
Professor Henry Tropp
Dept. of Mathematics
Humboldt State Univ.
Arcata, CA 95521
Also what do you think of sending copies to all the people who participated
in the original development of LISP (i.e. the ones listed as authors in the LISP
manual?
Your old copy of your paper finally arrived via U.S. mail yesterday.
Sincrely,
Carl
∂13-Dec-77 1555 JMC
To: br10 at CMU-10A
She did, but she must have been too tired to display dumbness. Anyway,
I have about decided to refuse to talk with further reporters on the
grounds that I have done my bit for journalism for this year.
∂13-Dec-77 1441 JMC
To: MRC
All protocol communication in the higher level Dialnet protocols
uses a list format for messages. Each message therefore has the form
(<identifier> <item> ... <item>)
where the items themselves are either identifiers or have a similar
structure. The object of this scheme is to ensure flexibility.
Suppose, for example, that one of the items in a protocol
message designates a user name. Initial designs of Dialnet may allow
only a character string without parentheses like SMITH to designate the user.
Later this might be elaborated to also allow a complex designator
like (SUCCESSOR SMITH) to designate the person who has replaced SMITH
in this job assignment.
There is no present intention that the Dialnet protocols will
be subject to rapid elaboration. The present object is merely to build
these protocols so that they will not be subject to blind alleys. Therefore,
there are no fixed size fields, and item that is initially represented
by an atomic name may later be replaced by some kind of expression, and
new terms may be adjoined to lists. Thus if an item is presently denoted
by a three term list, an elaborated protocol may later call for a four
item list, but if the same initial identifier is used, it should still
be possible for a recipient to ignore the fourth item and still use
the message.
We believe that these conventions, at slight cost in initial
implementation, will make future improvements easy should they be
required.
∂13-Dec-77 1157 JMC
To: buchanan at SUMEX-AIM
He presented me with a new draft. I understood him to say that you had
seen it also.
∂12-Dec-77 2102 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
I would say no. Just put a note that the contents of the letter and
the fact that it was sent are privileged information not for publication.
∂12-Dec-77 1635 JMC Justice letter
To: minsky at MIT-AI
CC: reid at CMU-10A
Some of the comments suggest worthwhile changes, but I favor getting
it over with and sending the existing letter. I think we should not
discuss the letter with the press. The Justice department and the
Postal Inspector will make their own decisions about how to investigate
if at all. Our letter will discharge a substantial part of the AI
community's responsibility in the matter. I agree with Brian's remark
that a letter to the Justice department won't lead to libel trouble if
we don't publicize it.
∂12-Dec-77 1633 JMC
To: KJK, NH
The computers can talk, but not using the Dialnet protocol, but the
AI Lab's dial program. Mark Crispin will know details.
∂12-Dec-77 1535 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
Yes, I think it's a valid concern.
∂12-Dec-77 1519 JMC Sandy Rockowitz
To: PAT
He took CS206 last fall and got an incomplete. We need to change that grade
to A-.
∂12-Dec-77 1347 JMC Sato paper and your login at sri
To: RCM
Patte thinks you may have the McCarthy-Sato paper or our copy of
Sato's thesis. Do you have either.
What is your login at SRI-KL, and do you log in there often enough
for net mail to be a reliable means of communication?
∂12-Dec-77 1344 JMC
To: buchanan at SUMEX-AIM
I am inclined to sign off on Arthur Thomas's thesis. I don't agree with
its philosophy, but he is unlikely to change it, and I think he has
done enough work. What is your opinion?
∂12-Dec-77 1341 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
I know of nothing and don't see the L.A. Times.
∂11-Dec-77 2302 JMC
To: RCM
I think my "First order theory of individual concepts" relates to your stuff.
∂11-Dec-77 1624 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
Do you agree with the following:
.require "let.pub[let,jmc]" source;
∂AIL Mr. N.R. Kleinfield↓%2New York Times%1↓229 West 43d St.↓N.Y. 10036∞
Dear Mr. Kleinfield:
This is to protest your putting words in the mouths of Marvin
Minsky and myself. We are not complaining about the content of your
quotation which fairly represents our sentiments, but simply about
your putting quotes around words we didn't actually say. The effect
is that we, and probably Mr. Reichelt as well, have become characters
in a drama composed by you. It is too bad that we apparently didn't
say anything succinctly quoteworthy, but it doesn't excuse your inventing
our personalities.
I, for one, do not use the word "preposterous", and Minsky doesn't
refer to "mad scientists". Although we don't know Mr. Reichelt, most
likely he doesn't call people "buddy" - which is somewhat obsolete as
slang except perhaps in the CB locution "good buddy".
The effect is to turn all of us into stage characters, and, while I
can't see as how I have been actually harmed by it, resent it enough so
that, should the occasion arise in the future, I will decline to be
interviewed by you again, unless you promise not to do it again.
Incidentally, we were expecting better of the %2New York Times%1.
Surely the newspaper can afford an expedition to East Rutherford, New Jersey.
.sgn
cc: Science Editor, %2New York Times%1
∂10-Dec-77 1335 JMC MTC Qual
To: DPB
The MTC Qual was taken today by Martin Brooks, Chris Goad, and Wolfgang
Polak. They all passed. The examiners were McCarthy and Manna, and
the examination was oral.
∂10-Dec-77 1329 JMC
To: DPB, CCG
I take it back about not minding MWF. I would like CS224 to have the
same total number of lectures as last year, since it is based mainly
on guest lectures, and I want about the same scheme as before.
∂09-Dec-77 1541 JMC
To: PAT
Please send a copy of MENTAL to Prof. Alphonse Juilland.
∂09-Dec-77 1421 JMC
To: DPB, CCG
I am agreeable to changing 224 to any time that is not early in the
morning. I don't mind MWF for this course.
∂09-Dec-77 0229 JMC
To: CLT
You should apply for admission in the regular way.
∂08-Dec-77 2151 JMC new telnet
To: MRC
CC: JBR, LES
If the commands of new telnet are not as presently documented in
the Monitor Manual, then I object.
∂08-Dec-77 0849 JMC
To: VEW
William Keith, USGS, 323-8111, x2665.
is looking for someone to give a course in rock climbing
for members of his group.
∂07-Dec-77 1655 JMC
To: PAT
Please pub a fresh copy of MENTAL[F76,JMC] for Ringle.
∂07-Dec-77 1626 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I'll read the interpreters tonight. Please thank Jean for me. Of course,
Stoyan probably won't come, and wouldn't have been able to come, no
matter what anyone did. The Stoyan strategy, as with all proposed
visitors from socialist countries, is to relax, and let them do the
worrying about whether they will come. We should have a modest fall-back
position, like eliminating him as a discussant, or subsituting yourself,
when and if it becomes clear, up to the day of his arrival in the U.S.,
that he can't come.
∂07-Dec-77 1255 JMC Quasar
To: uncapher at USC-ISI, stefferud at USC-ISI
The Quasar "robot" will be at the May Company store at Laurel Plaza
at 10am tomorrow and will be at the May Company Fox Hills store at
noon (both in the L.A. area). The L.A. Times, (reporter Steve Harvey),
will be looking for evidence of remote control.
∂07-Dec-77 1225 JMC IBM people requesting S-1 information
To: LCW
Jim Gray, IBM Research, San Jose, and Peter Capek, IBM Research,
Yorktown Heights, N.Y. would like copies of the S-1 architecture
description. This is personal interest on the part of two researchers -
not any kind of official interest.
∂06-Dec-77 2156 JMC
To: AJT
What is your current address and telephone number?
∂05-Dec-77 2337 JMC
To: JMB, DPB
CC: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Many thanks, Denny. There is some hope that next quarter be
easier anyway, besides the new ports, because in the SCIP regime,
the money spent on instructional computing declined monotonically
during the academic year, and last year we had most of engineering
in the Winter quarter and got by with a much smaller machine and
fewer terminals.
Incidentally, Jeff, I forgot to say that we have load shed. Namely,
text preparers can be bumped when there are more than 5 waiting for
terminals. On reading your message, I dashed over to LOTS at about
9pm and found 24 in the queue. By 11pm, the number waiting was down
to 5 and the wait was about 5 minutes. If it doesn't get worse than
that, we're all right, but I fear it will. I'll ask Ralph if we can't
get another few terminals without more down time than they are worth.
∂05-Dec-77 2022 JMC
To: JMB
CC: DPB, feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
On Thanksgiving weekend, which was the biggest jam, six more terminals
were got working. Another ten will go in over the vacation, possibly
sooner.
∂05-Dec-77 2018 JMC
To: MFB
If you tell the secretaries, they'll put it in the FIND file.
∂05-Dec-77 1130 JMC
To: RWW
Alas, no, and I haven't a precise formulation in mind.
∂05-Dec-77 1129 JMC
To: CG
It is as you say.
∂05-Dec-77 1126 JMC
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10
I get the New York Times, and saw the dispatch on the NYT News Service
in the computer. Minsky and Brian Reid and I have written the Justice
Department and the Chief Postal Inspector. The letter is JUSTIC.LE1[LET,JMC].
However, this fact should not get in the newspapers as they should
have a clean field for investigation if they decide to do something.
I plan no further activity at present but will be interested in
what you turn up. What Reichelt says seems to be a random variable.
Note that he told Kleinfeld (NYT) that he has 32 of them, so are they
all on the West Coast.
∂05-Dec-77 0249 JMC quasar
To: minsky at MIT-AI, reid at CMU-10A
1. I have been sick, but I'll mail Marvin the corrected first page
of the Justice Department letter today together with my share of
the promised enclosures.
2. There is a NYT story today in NYT.QUA[F77,JMC]. With that and
the Justice letter, I figure that we have done about enough. Anyway
I intend to refuse further random newspaper interviews, although it
would be nice if one of the rags that was gulled would come out and
say so.
3. I suggest we don't discuss the Justice department letter with
the press. It is better to let them or the Post Office have a clear
field for investigation.
∂05-Dec-77 0109 JMC Three comments
To: MRC
CC: LES
1. The actual parentheses in the S-expressions could be replaced
by some less frequent ASCII codes if that would be a convenience.
2. Perhaps I'm thick or lazy, but I need some examples of use to understand
the proposal.
3. The compatibility-noncompatibility with ARPA issue needs to be
treated in more detail. The critics will smoke out your reasons
sooner or later, so why not now?
∂04-Dec-77 0120 JMC
To: MFB
Sorry I couldn't call you. Do you have a phone?
∂04-Dec-77 0109 JMC
To: LES
Wood didn't call - at least not here. Perhaps there's a message on
my door?
∂04-Dec-77 0107 JMC
To: LES
No immediate preference, but M.I.T. has been known to overcharge for
some services. Also there is the local supplement RPG referred to.
∂04-Dec-77 0054 JMC
To: RPG, LES
Maclisp manuals are needed for CS206 (Fall and Spring) and should be
in bookstore for general LOTS use. The lab should also invest.
∂03-Dec-77 1524 JMC
To: LES
It now occurs to me that the department might to the work of
keeping a complete file up-to-date now that the department is
using the machine.
∂03-Dec-77 0859 JMC
To: LES
Why can't we have telephone numbers for all users?
∂02-Dec-77 2033 JMC
To: MFB
On account of my having flu, exam is postponed for a week.
∂01-Dec-77 2207 JMC
To: AJT
Who again is on the reading committee.
∂01-Dec-77 0047 JMC help,help!!
To: JBR
I just deleted four files in which I have a large investment.
They are NOTE.QUA, HARSH.QUA, MESS.QUA, PRESS.QUA, all on f77,jmc.
mess.qua has recently had several versions, and I need to rescue
the latest.
∂30-Nov-77 2335 JMC
To: RWW
Thanks.
∂30-Nov-77 2242 JMC
To: BH
The FTP example you give in NEWS didn't work. Try it.
∂30-Nov-77 1201 JMC
To: dca-535 at SRI-KL
NIC QUESTIONNAIRE
INTRODUCTION
The goal of the ARPANET Network Information Center (NIC) is to meet
the information needs of ARPANET users. The NIC project is carried
out at SRI International and is funded by the Defense Communications
Agency (DCA) as a service to network users. Like most projects, it
has finite manpower, computer, and financial resources. We hope that
your input to this questionnaire will provide the NIC and DCA with
guidelines as to how these resources should best be used, and will
help us identify which services are needed most.
The questionnaire may be filled out online or in hardcopy. The text
of the questionnaire is also available for FTP from SRI-KL (66 dec)
as <DCA-535>NIC-QUESTIONNAIRE.TXT.
Send online copies to
DCA-535@SRI-KL
Mail hardcopies via U.S. Mail to
Elizabeth Feinler
Network Information Center
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Ave.
Menlo Park, California 94025.
PROFILE OF YOU AS A USER
Mark with an 'X' any of these that apply to you:
x Computer Scientist
Programmer
Computer Hardware Specialist
Electronics Engineer
Operator
Military or DOD user
Government (but non-DOD) user
Non-government, non-DOD user
x Professor
Research Scientist (other than Computer Sci.)
Student, Undergrad
Student, Grad
Network Liaison
Network sponsor
Nontechnical Support Staff
Other (please specify)
What is your background and/or current job
Professor of computer science.
Do you use the ARPANET? Yes How long have you used it? 6 years
Briefly what do you use the ARPANET for?
messages, file transfer and virtual terminal
With which host (computer) or TIP are you normally affiliated?
SU-AI
What other hosts do you regularly access through the ARPANET?
MIT-AI, SUMEX, SRI-KL
SURVEY OF YOUR USE OF NIC ONLINE SERVICES
NOTE: If you are not familiar with these NIC services, consult the
front of the ARPANET Directory for further information.
Please indicate with an A, B, C, etc., your use of the online NIC
services, where
A = Frequently Used B = Seldom used but necessary
C = Not Needed D = Not familiar with
Official Host Table (<NETINFO>HOSTS.TXT)
D
Liaison List (<NETINFO>LIAISON.TXT)
D
Liaison Sndmsg Distribution List (<NETINFO>LIAISON-SNDMSG.TXT)
D
Requests for Comments (RFCs) (<NETINFO>RFCnnn.TXT)
C
NIC/Query access to Resource Data Bases
HELP
Personnel Information
Programs
Protocols
Hosts
Computers
RFC Index
D
ARPANET Sponsors Group Minutes
(<NETINFO>NET-SPONSORS-MEETING-5-77.TXT) .PES;
D
What other online services, if any, would you like to have? (Give
brief example if possible)
Maybe I'll use some of these services in the future.
SURVEY OF YOUR USE OF NIC REFERENCE SERVICES
Are requests for hardcopy documents handled promptly? Y/N
d
If you have phoned the NIC, have telephone reference requests been
handled efficiently? Y/N
d
Please add any comments you might have about these services.
d
Rather than online computer access for ARPANET information would you
prefer IN-WATS telephone service to the NIC? Y/N
no
GENERAL SURVEY OF YOUR USE OF NIC DOCUMENTS
Mark with an 'X' any of these documents you have.
x ARPANET Directory What date?
x ARPANET Resource Hdbk What date?
ARPANET Protocol Hdbk What date?
Please indicate with an A, B, C, etc., your use of NIC documents,
where
A = Frequently Used B = Seldom used but necessary
C = Not Needed D = Not familiar with
a ARPANET Directory
b ARPANET Resource Hdbk
ARPANET Protocol Hdbk
Briefly describe other hardcopy documents you would like, if any?
.PES;
SPECIFIC DOCUMENT SURVEY
RESOURCE HANDBOOK
Please indicate with an A, B, C, etc., your use of the Resource
Handbook, where
A = Frequently used B = Seldom used but necessary
C = Not needed D = Not familiar with
b Introduction
NIC Info
ARPANET General Info
Contacts
Network Sponsors List
Network Liaison List
Hostnames Table
Host Addr. Table
IMP #/Host # Table
Computers by Configuration
Computers by Mfr
Host Acronyms
Server Hosts
User Hosts
TIPs
Program Index
General References
RFC Bibliography
What would you like the Resource Handbook to contain that it does not
now contain? (Give a brief example if possible)
Do you like the format of the ARPANET Resource Handbook? Y/N?
If not, what would you prefer? .PES;
Haven't used it enough to get full benefit.
ARPANET DIRECTORY
Please indicate with an A, B, C, etc., your use of the Arpanet
Directory, where
A = Frequently Used B = Seldom used but necessary
C = Not Needed D = Not familiar with
Introduction
NIC Info
ARPANET Info
Network Sponsors List
a Individuals Listing
Ident Index
Network Address Index
Host Acronyms Table
Hosts and Associates Listing
Network Groups List
Servers Table
Hostnames Table
Host Address Table
Host #/Imp # Table
Computers by Mfr
Computers by Configuration
Geographic Map
Logical Map
What would you like the ARPANET Directory to contain that it does not
now contain? (Give a brief example, if possible.)
more names
Do you like the format of the ARPANET Directory? Y/N?
y
If not, what would you prefer?
PROTOCOL HANDBOOK
What sections would you like the ARPANET Protocol Handbook to
contain that it does not now contain? (Give a brief example if
possible)
Do you like the format of the ARPANET Protocol Handbook? Y/N?
If not, what would you prefer? .PES;
DISTRIBUTION
The NIC publishes the ARPANET Directory and the ARPANET Resource
Handbook once a year, and the ARPANET Protocol Handbook when supplies
are depleted or major new protocols are released. Do you think this
is often enough?
y ARPANET Directory ($7 /copy) Y/N? If no, how often?
y ARPANET Resource Handbook ($35 /copy) Y/N? If no, how often?
ARPANET Protocol Handbook ($20 /copy) Y/N? If no, how often?
Keeping in mind the high cost of these documents, who should receive
the following:
ARPANET Directory
Each ARPANET user Each Liaison Each host Other (Specify)
ARPANET Resource Hdbk
Each ARPANET user Each Liaison Each host Other (Specify)
ARPANET Protocol Hdbk
Each ARPANET user Each Liaison Each host Other (Specify)
Do you think the NIC should stop distributing hardcopy documents
altogether? Y/N?
Do you think the NIC should distribute more hardcopy documents? Y/N?
If so, which documents? How often?
Given a choice which do you prefer
I prefer on line files, but the last time (several years ago) that
I tried to use NIC, I got hung up in NLS. I think NLS is a mistake,
because it requires too much effort to become and remain current.
Plain TENEX fiees would be easier even though I am not a regular
TENEX user.
Online reference files
Hardcopy reference documents
Both
The NIC now deposits the ARPANET Directory, the ARPANET Resource
Handbook, and the ARPANET Protocol Handbook at the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) where each is available for purchase by
the general public. Do you appove? Y/N?
If not, what would you prefer?
(NOTE: The documents are considered public information under the
Freedom of Information Act, P.L. 93-502.)
GENERAL
Please add any comments/recommendations/complaints you feel will be
useful in evaluation of NIC services.
Your name and address (network and/or U.S. Mail), if you choose to
give it.
John McCarthy, MCCARTHY@SU-AI
May we contact you if we have further questions? Y/N
y
∂30-Nov-77 1055 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
A new first page with a fixed typo is on its way. Reid signed.
∂30-Nov-77 1050 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
Thanks, I'll do it.
∂30-Nov-77 1047 JMC
To: REM
My reason is different from what you suggest. I believe that the way to
go in the long run is that anything written by a person (as distinct from
a program) should be kept indefinitely. I had hoped that we would expand
disk file fast enough so that my starting in this mode wouldn't be a great
inconvenience, but I may have to take you up on your offer soon.
∂29-Nov-77 1025 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I would be grateful if you did it, but it would have to be said that
this is a post facto rationalization.
∂28-Nov-77 0037 JMC
To: ME
CC: ALS
What is the prospect of the following improvements in E?
1. A command to enter insert mode with the given line in
the line-mode buffer and the cursor at the end of the line.
2. Making αβ. work in insert mode.
∂25-Nov-77 1347 JMC
To: LES
∂25-Nov-77 1214 RWW scott kim
He has left the area and I thought all his stuff had disapeared. I
have not heard from him in a long time.
rww
∂25-Nov-77 1038 JMC
To: LES
SOB looks very good.
∂25-Nov-77 0054 JMC
To: LES
What is the new bureaucracy called?
∂25-Nov-77 0034 JMC
To: LES
The easy way to make the information fit is to use a smaller type font
on the XGP. If you use fix20, a full line printer page will print on
the XGP - or are you already using that?
∂24-Nov-77 0056 JMC
To: RWW
CC: LES
Is Scott Kim doing anything for the formal reasoning group?
∂24-Nov-77 0054 JMC Fossum
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
CC: LES
According to Herb Solomon, who knows him and met him on a plane recently,
Fossum is a mathematician and statistician, like John Perry, and
both might be expected to be more favorable to basic research than the
incumbent.
∂23-Nov-77 1015 JMC
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10
JUSTIC.LE1[LET,JMC] is a draft of a letter to the Justice Department
asking them to investigate Quasar for possible fraud. I suppose it
isn't essential, but it would be worthwhile if the AI community,
as represented by Rutgers, made direct contact with Quasar and asked
for the tour give Business Week. I would suggest that you ask to
converse with the Robot and get it into a conversation about its
capabilities. The person providing the Robot's conversation
may be more careless than the same person speaking directly, because
he has a more complicated task to perform. You can ask it how it
works. At the end of the interview, direct questions to Reichelt
about from whom he has taken money might be asked.
Quite probably Quasar will refuse to let you in, but you might mention
that you know they have been denounced but want to be fair.
∂23-Nov-77 0850 JMC letter to Justice Department re Quasar
To: minsky at MIT-AI, reid at CMU-10A
JUSTIC.LE1 is a draft of a letter to the Justice Department.
I propose that the three of us sign it. Three is enough, but
anyone else who wants to join in may do so. I am not deeply
attached to the present text. The # signs will be converted
into numbers by PUB.
∂22-Nov-77 0058 JMC Quasar suggestion
To: HENRY at MIT-AI
Your friend Cathy might achieve an interesting result by arranging to
have an elderly lady - let's call her Miss Lillian -
living alone send Quasar a letter with the following content:
1. Her neice Cathy showed her the Quasar brochure but didn't believe.
(assuming Cathy wrote for the brochure in the first place).
2. She believes it, because she also read about it in Parade.
3. She needs a robot badly, because she won't be able to take care
of herself for many more years.
4. Cathy and all her other relatives are just interested in her money.
5. Please send more information in a plain envelope, so her nosey
neighbors won't tell her relatives who won't want her to buy the
robot, but her money is her own and she can buy what she pleases.
(To establish that the swindle can occur without interference).
6. If the 24 hour model isn't ready yet, perhaps she should get
three of the 8 hour models. (To establish wealth).
The elderly lady can be fictitious as long as the matter is in
a correspondence stage, but the police should be invited to
listen to the actual interview that determines Miss Lillian's
psychological profile for compatibility with the robot.
∂22-Nov-77 0025 JMC
To: henry at MIT-AI
It is LEFAIVRE at RUTGERS-10, not LEFAIBRE.
∂22-Nov-77 0015 JMC
To: FAKE.LIS[F77,JMC]:;
HOW QUASAR CAN MAKE MONEY
That the Quasar robot was a fraud has always seemed clear, but
it wasn't clear how they could make money from it.
The file DHT;QUASAR > at MIT-AI is a copy of a promotional
document that Quasar sends in response to inquiries. On the basis of the
following excerpt from the document, here is a conjecture on how they can
swindle people.
"The DA-2 model is available only by reserved production number
order to qualified individuals and corporations. The specialized nature
of these Robots require a compatability program analysis with prospective
owners before delivery, to establish gender, personality, intelligence
level re- quired and specialized internal sub-systems.
"Inquiries are now being received for sponsor application forms to
determine individual qualificationa and requirements."
This provides an excuse for a representative to visit selected
inquirors to check their suitability for swindling.
The ideal swindlee, as in most schemes, would be an elderly person
who believe what he or she reads in the newspapers and who has money and
no nosey or suspicious people living with him or her. Since many
newspaper and magazine stories have been printed that accept the claims
without qualification, the Quasar salesman can carry along a convincing
set of clippings. Once it has been determined that the person is
suitable, the salesman can ask for a deposit for the standard model and
as many options as the swindlee's bank account will stand. An opportunity
to invest can also be offered, deposits on dealerships can be taken, etc.
Nothing has been promised for two years, and excuses for further delay
in accomplishing such ambitious goals can easily be found.
People who seem too suspicious, not rich enough, or who seem to have
attorneys, suspicious relatives or friends can be asked to wait for
further compatibility testing.
The newspaper publicity Quasar has received since July can already
have led to a number of swindles. The recent unfavorable publicity will
be missed by many of the people who read the original favorable people.
Although it is possible that Reichelt is mainly deluding himself, the
probability that he has already swindled some people is such that it is
now necessary to inform the Federal Trade Commission, the part of the
Justice Department that handles mail fraud, and the District Attorney of
the county where Quasar is located.
∂21-Nov-77 2139 JMC
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10, lefaivre at RUTGERS-10
CC: amarel at RUTGERS-10
I got Reid's home phone, and his room-mate said that the Business Wek
reporter is named Billl Abrams, and his home phone is (212) 228-3260.
I suggest that Bob Smith (to choose just one) phone him even though it
is late, because he will have to leave early to get to Quasar by 10am.
Reid is conjectured to be at 412-441-4820 (not his home number), and
I'll try that to keep him informed.
∂21-Nov-77 1957 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
Bob Smith from Rutgers (201) 238-1650 is willing and will send you a message.
∂19-Nov-77 2350 JMC
To: MRC
CC: LES
It is not worthwhile arguing about whether to use 1200, 2400 or 4800
baud modems until we have more information about the costs of the
modems, their performance, and what programming problems may or may
not be associated with the higher speed modems.
∂18-Nov-77 2257 JMC DOER
To: HPM
The doer was using 79% of the computer and not reading in any
stories, so I killed it. Will it come back to life without
further action, or do you know how to revive it?
∂18-Nov-77 2150 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Michael Blasgen MRC's draft of Dialnet protocols.
∂18-Nov-77 1550 JMC
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
My class is in 152 Terman. We can go somewhere from there.
∂18-Nov-77 1317 JMC revised ch 2
To: CLT
On p.3, you begin the discussion of valmax,etc. A sentence about
what is meant by "proof" is wanted. Perhaps it could refer to
"a tree of moves and terminal values that serves as a proof that ..."
More serious, valmax and friends do not depend on a particular
representation of positions and are really pure lisp to which
our proof theory applies. The hidden board trick is a separate
matter that applies to many games, e.g. tictactoe but I suppose
also chess. It is based on side-effects and would require new
formalism to prove correct. Anyway, it should be introduced
after valmax and friends have been explained.
∂17-Nov-77 2202 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
CC: minsky at MIT-AI
Thanks for the copy of your original version. I'll keep it out of
the newspapers. It didn't lose a lot
by being toned down, but I think Minsky is right that it is the
responsibility of scientists in a field to expose frauds in their
area. This may require incurring some risk of being sued, since these
days, an over population of lawyers encourages groundless suits.
∂17-Nov-77 2025 JMC
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
I teach until 2:30 on campus. We could meet then on campus or at 3pm
at the AI Lab.
∂16-Nov-77 2325 JMC Bureaucracy
To: DCL
CC: LES
Les has finished a new version of bureaucracy that keeps track of hours
of the day among other things. When a few more bugs are fixed and we
get a month of good data, we will be able to propose limits on various
categories of use. At present 220 is not being given, but somehow when
the CS students came on, some of the former 220 users became regulars.
∂16-Nov-77 2313 JMC
To: MRC
Don't forget. Bell Labs people, Prim, Mathews and Fraser, 10am today.
∂16-Nov-77 2300 JMC
To: PAT
John McCarthy, U.S., Sept 4 1927, 846 Lathrop Dr. Stanford CA.
∂15-Nov-77 2348 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
Yes, I'd like to see it.
∂15-Nov-77 1735 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
A second draft was sent yesterday. I'll check that correct
address is being used. Better yet, mail
PAT@SU=ai your precise U.S. Mail co-ordinates.
∂15-Nov-77 1515 JMC
To: reid at CMU-10A
If it was the Christian Science Monitor reporter from L.A., his
enthusiasm for work seemed to have declined before he called me.
I mislaid the slip of paper with his name. I have asked Sandra
Blakeslee to send you a copy of the release. By the way, I thought
your writeup was a bit too kind to Quasar.
∂15-Nov-77 1457 JMC
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is not on the Stanford Campus.
Go West on Page Mill Road, and turn right on Arastradero Road just
after crossing under highway 280. The AI Lab is in the Donald
C. Power Building which is 0.8 miles on the right at 1600 Arastradero.
∂15-Nov-77 0031 JMC
To: LES
Just a few logins, e.g. tonight. However, there were a lot of users.
∂14-Nov-77 2311 JMC
To: HPM
Did you find out how far off Ellsberg was?
∂14-Nov-77 2212 JMC
To: LES
What does Neil Miller do justifying his account?
∂14-Nov-77 2122 JMC
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
4pm Tuesday the 29th is best, but Wednesday is also possible.
∂14-Nov-77 1518 JMC
To: FAKE.LIS[F77,JMC]:;
Sandra Blakeslee who works for the Stanford news service issued
a press release based on what I told her about the Quasar fake robot.
Consequently, various news stories will be based on this release.
My statements to her rely heavily on the CMU investigation and have
no independent source of information except the statement by Reichelt
in response to a San Jose Mercury reporter's telephoned question.
Reichelt
said it didn't have to be able to tell a cup from a saucer, because
it didn't take anything off the tray. This blows Reichelt's claim
that his robot can serve a meal and shows that he isn't even careful
to make his claims consistent.
It would be nice to have a careful investigation of Quasar
leading to a full report, but since everyone seems too busy for that,
it seemed to me that saying what I did was better than having no
public response at all from the AI community.
∂12-Nov-77 0112 JMC
To: LES
Apropos DCL, what are prospects for time-recording bureaucracy?
∂12-Nov-77 0110 JMC
To: LES
That's ok with me.
∂11-Nov-77 1815 JMC
To: ALS
CC: LES
∂11-Nov-77 1719 MRC phone call
David Mintz from UC Beserkly called, 642-1035 irt BBN graphs of time domain
vs. amplitude of phonemes. Nobody was around who knew what this was about,
so I figured you would know. They want Xerox copies if possible; they don't
have anything.
∂11-Nov-77 1633 JMC Additional chapters and sections
To: CLT
The file lisp.2[f77,jmc] contains some proposals for additional
chapters and sections.
∂11-Nov-77 1425 JMC
To: pylyshyn at CMU-10A
What are your telephone numbers.
∂11-Nov-77 1102 JMC
To: pylyshyn at CMU-10A
Yes, I would definitely like your comments on the prospectus and
suggestions for participants.
∂11-Nov-77 0127 JMC
To: DCL
CC: LES
∂11-Nov-77 0047 LES Bureaucracy meeting
DCL would like to have a project leader's discussion of machine load
and account policy. How about Monday or Tuesday afternoon?
What is it you want to discuss and what are your views?
∂10-Nov-77 1625 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI, mf at MIT-AI
Files labelled whose first name is HOBBIT in the directory
LIT,JMC at SU-AI have to do with hobbits. There are about nine
such files.
∂10-Nov-77 1044 JMC 6250
To: JBR, TED, LES
I have thought of another virtue of 6250 and a possible vitiating defect
in the idea.
1. virtue - demand for second user pack reduced, since tape becomes
more usable.
2. possible bug - mightn't a 6250 bpi tape have to be almost all
inter-record gap without excessive buffering?
∂10-Nov-77 0035 JMC
To: reddy at CMU-10B
What is status of publication of invited IJCAI papers?
∂09-Nov-77 1336 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Della van Heyst a copy of my long Weizenbaum review.
∂09-Nov-77 1054 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Sure, but why don't you just do it.
∂08-Nov-77 1208 JMC
To: RWW
I also haven't been able to get it. If you can, I'd welcome it.
∂08-Nov-77 1000 JMC
To: liskov at MIT-DMS
CC: carl at MIT-AI
I have mailed Carl a copy of a draft of my paper. It would be good
if Jean were willing to enclose it with the letter.
Dr. Herbert Stoyan
DDR 806 Dresden
Togliattistr. 40
East Germany
∂07-Nov-77 2348 JMC
To: REF
Put it in my box.
∂07-Nov-77 2326 JMC
To: CLT
I have some midterms that weren't collected, and I'll bring them.
∂07-Nov-77 1547 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
Either is fine with me. One might also consider Raphael or Bobrow
or Steve Russell.
∂07-Nov-77 1351 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I have the date now.
∂07-Nov-77 1342 JMC Date of R.L.E. Progress Report
To: carl at MIT-AI
You sent me a Xerox of a section of and R.L.E. Progress Report pp. 122
to 152 describing LISP. What was the date of that report?
∂07-Nov-77 1015 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
I'll be there.
∂07-Nov-77 0411 JMC
To: MRC
Please be sure a copy is on Patty's desk this AM to mail to BTL.
∂07-Nov-77 0256 JMC
To: CARL at MIT-AI
LISP[F77,JMC] is finished. A copy can be mailed tomorrow.
∂07-Nov-77 0228 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
The file is called LISP[F77,JMC] now.
∂07-Nov-77 0113 JMC New draft
To: carl at MIT-AI
LISP.2[F77,JMC] contains a new draft. The micro-manual part needs
some more pub work, because it used a different pub source than
the rest of the paper. I can fix it and send it in a day or so
if there is a reason to hurry. However, I would appreciate further
substantive comments. I have noted on the last page my responses
to your previous comments.
∂06-Nov-77 2334 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
***In an appendix it might be worthwhile to present the definition
of EVAL together with the modification that makes upward funargs work.***
Carl: Can you supply me with such an eval?
∂06-Nov-77 2208 JMC the paper and Stoyan
To: carl at MIT-AI
Do you think Jean would agree to send Stoyan a preliminary version
of the paper with the letter? This would strengthen the apparent
likelihood of a formal invitation.
If so, I'll produce a second version promptly. Also, what do you
think of including the one page LISP micro-manual as an appendix?
∂06-Nov-77 2138 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
OK, let's do it.
∂06-Nov-77 1936 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
Thanks for the comments on my paper. I have started to tinker with it,
but I guess I won't get back to it soon. I suppose that I have met the
request for a draft by Nov. 1. As for Stoyan, I have run out of energy,
and, if Jean can't be persuaded to do anything more decent than the
letter Barbara mentioned in an earlier message, that will have to do.
I haven't heard from Cheatham since an initial phone conversation in
which he said he would do what he could; have you? I sent Barbara a
message today saying that she should ask Jean to send the letter she
sent me a draft of. I hope she is in town.
∂06-Nov-77 1112 JMC Stoyan
To: liskov at MIT-DMS
I am out of energy, so if the letter you proposed is the best Jean
can be persuaded to send, please ask her to send it. Also please
let me know the outcome.
∂06-Nov-77 1028 JMC
To: HVA
The public typewriter fails to type some letters.
∂05-Nov-77 1803 JMC
To: TED
Apparently the phone line was fixed Monday. Anyway my Imlac works.
∂05-Nov-77 1801 JMC electronic calendar
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Alas, Saturday November 19 turns out to be the time of the DSL
faculty-student party. Therefore, Friday the 18th seems to be
the time for the Schwartz-Allen party.
∂05-Nov-77 0117 JMC
To: JMB
Thanks for the information. I would be grateful for any more that
turns up. - John
∂05-Nov-77 0024 JMC
To: PMF
Reloading worked!!
∂04-Nov-77 1534 JMC
To: PAT
see if richard is home
∂04-Nov-77 1532 JMC
To: DCL
As you see from Lieberman's letter, that may no longer suffice.
∂04-Nov-77 1442 JMC letters
To: PAT
ANDREI.L10 is a new letter to Ershov requiring enclosures, and
Kripke.le1 is a letter to Saul Kripke. Kripke is said to be
visiting somewhere in England. If you can't get his address
there from the philosophy department here, try telephoning
the philosophy department at Princeton University, Princeton
New Jersey -area code 609.
∂03-Nov-77 1555 JMC
To: RLD
If a debate is arranged, we will certainly help with publicity, etc.
A distinguished speaker vs. random audience questioners is not ideal
from a point of view opposed to that of the speaker, but some of
us will probably show up anyway.
∂03-Nov-77 1544 JMC
To: RLD
If a debate is arranged, we will certainly help with publicity, etc.
A distinguished speaker vs. random audience questioners is not ideal
from a point of view opposed to that of the speaker, but some of
us may show up anyway.
∂02-Nov-77 1521 JMC
To: PMF
Did the Telco man tell you whether he fixed it?
∂02-Nov-77 1508 JMC debate
To: RLD
I understand that you are one of the movers behind the anti-nuclear
extravaganza of the next few weeks. I would like to challenge any
of your tigers, i.e. Ellsberg, Lovins, or Commoner in that order of
preference to debate the whether the nuclear energy program should
be continued. Would you transmit the challenge, made in the name
of SENSE (Scientists for Enlightenment on Nuclear Sources of Energy)
and let me know if any of them deign to accept it?
∂02-Nov-77 1135 JMC
To: RWW
The writeup is prob.206[f77,jmc].
∂01-Nov-77 1942 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
We'll be there about 6:30, thanks.
∂01-Nov-77 1804 JMC
To: LES, DBA
The PDP-1 went to the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur.
∂30-Oct-77 1413 JMC phone line
To: PMF
No. Weyhrauch tells me that his Imlac hasn't been working either since
the time mine stopped working. Therefore, I am inclined to suspect a
common cause.
∂30-Oct-77 1410 JMC
To: JMB
I will need a transparency projector.
∂30-Oct-77 1312 JMC
To: JMB
I could give a colloquium in second half Nov. or in Dec.
∂29-Oct-77 1520 JMC letters
To: PAT
∂AIL Mr. Douglas L. Penrod↓%2Computer Chess Newsletter%1
↓1445 La Cima Road↓Santa Barbara, CA 93101∞
Dear Mr. Penrod:
Enclosed is $3.00 for four more issues.
.sgn
∂29-Oct-77 1455 JMC
To: REP
Many thanks for the loan of Boden. It is really excellent.
∂28-Oct-77 1906 JMC
To: PMF
I'll be around here or there, so whenever it's convenient.
∂28-Oct-77 1825 JMC
To: PMF
Ted says the small scope works. When can you try again?
∂28-Oct-77 1329 JMC
To: BPM
∂28-Oct-77 1311 FTP:Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM information update
Date: 28 OCT 1977 1312-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: information update
To: jmc at SAIL
Heilmeier is going to TI to be vp for research.
The new director is Dean of Research at the Postgraduate school.
Ed
-------
∂28-Oct-77 1215 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
∂28-Oct-77 0836 BPM New ARPA Director?
To: JMC, LES, CCG, TW, DCL, TOB, ZM
Rumor has it that George Heilmeier will be leaving ARPA at the end of
November. Don't know where he is going.
Heilmeier will be replaced by someone named FOSSUM, who is currently the
director of the Naval Postgraduate School.
∂28-Oct-77 1157 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Ed, Yes, dinner at the Faculty club will be fine. - John
∂27-Oct-77 1135 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Ed, Vera and I will be happy to join you for dinner next Thursday.
Thank you very much.
∂26-Oct-77 1716 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
No, I didn't see the paper. Was it a message or did you put it in
a file?
∂26-Oct-77 1256 JMC QUASAR
To: GEOFF at SRI-KA
Did you happen to make a copy of the AP news dispatch that
described the Quasar robot? Susan Cohen of the San Jose Mercury
is interested in invesigating Quasar and doing a story on
the fraud if it can be demonstrated. I have shown her what
we have including the CMU stuff. Also Saul Amarel at Rutgers-10
is willing to do some investigating in New Jersey, but he hasn't
seen the original story.
∂26-Oct-77 1207 JMC
To: C410BR10 at CMU-10A
A reporter from the San Jose Mercury named Susan Cohen who is investigating
Quasar would like to talk to you. Could you send me a telephone number
at which you can be reached?
∂26-Oct-77 1047 JMC
To: liskov at MIT-DMS
CC: carl at MIT-AI
Tom Cheatham has agreed to talk to Jean and other members of the
committee. Let's see what comes of this before accepting this
weak response.
∂24-Oct-77 1821 JMC
To: JMB
I received your previous message. Regrettably, Nov. 1 is too soon
for me.
∂21-Oct-77 1258 JMC
To: REP
Many thanks. I am about a third of the way through it, and it seems to
be excellent.
∂21-Oct-77 0216 JMC
To: REM
No rebuttal - if secure as believed. E1,D2 system must be modified to
achieve the result that a correct guess can't even be confirmed, but
this just involves adding random nulls in sufficient quantity.
∂20-Oct-77 0148 JMC book loan
To: REP
Many thanks. I am arranging a working group to which Margaret Boden
is likely to be invited. Therefore, I would be interested in your
opinion of the book. I can return it Friday if you need it, but wouldn't
mind keeping it till Monday if you don't.
∂19-Oct-77 2302 JMC
To: amarel at RUTGERS-10
Saul: The following is the background to the previous message.
∂19-Oct-77 2136 FTP:MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky) (Response to message)
Date: 20 OCT 1977 0034-EDT
From: MINSKY at MIT-AI (Marvin Minsky)
To: jmc at SU-AI
Here is copy of activity i started for public service.
Thanks to TW for useful reply about fake robots. I will
file my letter and replies in AI:MINSKY;ROBOT >
file and we can decide what to do in a week or two. Terry
thinks it might be a useful public opportunity
to do some good. Who else should be on mailing list?
Date: 19 OCT 1977 1442-PDT
From: WINOGRAD at PARC-MAXC
Subject: (Response to message)
To: MINSKY at MIT-AI, HORN at MIT-AI, PHW at MIT-AI,
To: binford at SU-AI, bobrow, nilsson at SRI-KL,
To: hart at SRI-KL, reddy at CMU-10A
In response to the message sent 19 OCT 1977 1708-EDT from MINSKY@MIT-AI
I talked to Paula Apsell (who is doing the NOVA AI film) about
this guy, and she knows a lot. Her associate Roy Gould) tried for
weeks to get an interview with the guy, since they wanted to use
this robot on their show. After fantastic shenanigans, he managed to
get to the factory, where it turned out (after all sorts
of evasion, etc.) that what they make is remote-controlled publicity
devices, with no AI content whatsoever. The
robot in the clipping Marvin sent around was probably one of
them, (as opposed to a person in a robot suit, the other alternative).
The guy more or less confessed to Roy that what he was doing
was "show business". As far as I know, they have no
plans to expose it, since they are busy trying to do a film
on legitimate AI. However, I agree with Marvin that something
should be done, and maybe they can be useful. At the moment
they're on the road filming, but I'll mention it when I see them,
and find out what they are interested in doing.
The whole thing is an interesting lesson in the gullibility
of the press, and the general public level of sophistication about
AI , and if we could use the opportunity to get out bettter
information, we should.
--terry
-------
From Minsky:
You have all noticed the publicity about the Quasar Industries -- of
Rutherford, New Jersey -- robot.
At first I tought it was funny. Naturally, I assumed that the robot is
a fake, and that someone was merely attempting a hoax, presumably to
fool businessmen into buying stock and the like. Such activities are,
of course, no more our concern than anyone else's.
However, I find that lots of people see it, and few have healthy,
wholesome, unshakable doubts. And on further thought, I realized, why
should they? Only the AI community is in a position to challenge -
expose - educate - whatever.
So perhaps we must act -- for the first time? Perhaps this is not
merely a matter of meddling or criticising. If we are the only "group"
with the knowledge and authority to expose a fraud -- assuming that
this is the case -- then don't we have a moral obligation to say
something -- write an expose -- call a press conference -- or
something?
Such an action needs two steps:
Someone has to "investigate" and summarize what he found.
Some others have to back him up, sign a joint letter or
whatever, so that there is no one holding a legal bag alone.
Someone around here has a friend in journalism school, who might be
interested in doing this as an "investigative journalism" project, if
AI people will help her. Any other ideas?
-- Marvin
Here is an AP dispatch for your amusement, obtained over the network
from an unnamed source.
a263 1529 15 Oct 77
AM-Robot Sam,250
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Meet Sam, a well-educated, male chauvinist
robot.
Sam was stationed on the second floor of a downtown department store
as a promotional gimmick Friday using his 4,800-word vocabulary to
insult customers and make passes at young ladies.
The $4,000 robot looks like a king-size aerosol can with a smooth
translucent bubble head and flexible arms. He is guided by a computer
hidden in the midsection of his 5-foot-2, 240-pound frame and movber wheels
hidden under his polished metal skirt. His taped responses are
triggered by certain keywords uttered by humans.
''What's your name?'' somebody asked him.
''My name is Sam Struggle Gear,'' the robot answered metallically.
''What's yours, dummy?''
Perhaps emboldened by a friendly comment and a kiss on his plastic
forehead from Portland State University student Alice Ericsson, Sam
turned and announced, ''I like girls.''
Waving his accordion arms, he moved unerringly on the lone woman in
a group.
''I like this one,'' he said. ''What's your name?''
Somewhat startled, the woman replied, ''Sandie Murphy.''
After a machine-whirring pause, Sam asked: ''You fool around?''
''No,'' Mrs. Murphy said firmly. ''I'm married.''
''That's all right with me,'' Sam said. ''Us robots like women with
experience.''
Somebody told Sam he was being a little rude.
Sam stared at his critic from his featureless face and growled:
''How would you like tire marks on your belt buckle?''
1828pED 10-15
***************
∂19-Oct-77 2300 JMC
To: amarel at RUTGERS-10
Quasar fake robot
I agree that it is the AI community's responsibility to expose the fake
robot. Who if not us? If possible, we should also criticize the
gullibility of the press. It is either that or an irresponsible
liking for seeming marvels - like the magician's "prediction" of
the headlines about the New York blackout riots a week in advance.
The magician is blameless; switching envelopes after the prediction
is a common stage trick.
It would be best to have an independent investigation. Since
the Quasar outfit is in New Jersey, maybe some Bell Labs people or
Rutgers people could do the work, but it is very likely that they
would be stone-walled unless they pretended to be customers who
wanted it for a Department Store publicity stunt or something like
that. Maybe they could get the co-operation of Macy's or some
other respectable outfit.
Chuck Rieger and/or Saul Amarel at RUTGERS-10 might organize it.
After the investigation there should be a press conference
held in New York. Respectable AI people should be present. Perhaps
a foundation would underwrite the necessary travel. Whoever did the
actual investigation should be featured along with the professors.
If not, short range travel should suffice.
The following points might be made:
1. Quasar's claim (what they claimed should be documented from the
news stories) would, if verified, constitute a major advance over
what the worldwide AI community believes to be the state of the
art.
2. Since they never came to scientific meetings or published and
we never heard of them we were skeptical.
3. They turned out to be remotely controlled. A robot depending
on a man in a control room is hardly useful for household chores.
4. The newspapers, wire services, and TV broadcasters have been
remiss in their duty to check marvels. They can ask well-known
scientists in the relevant field, and if they get a skeptical
answer they can investigate further.
∂19-Oct-77 2256 JMC
To: FAKE.LIS[ESS,JMC]:;
Quasar fake robot
I agree that it is the AI community's responsibility to expose the fake
robot. Who if not us? If possible, we should also criticize the
gullibility of the press. It is either that or an irresponsible
liking for seeming marvels - like the magician's "prediction" of
the headlines about the New York blackout riots a week in advance.
The magician is blameless; switching envelopes after the prediction
is a common stage trick.
It would be best to have an independent investigation. Since
the Quasar outfit is in New Jersey, maybe some Bell Labs people or
Rutgers people could do the work, but it is very likely that they
would be stone-walled unless they pretended to be customers who
wanted it for a Department Store publicity stunt or something like
that. Maybe they could get the co-operation of Macy's or some
other respectable outfit.
Chuck Rieger and/or Saul Amarel at RUTGERS-10 might organize it.
After the investigation there should be a press conference
held in New York. Respectable AI people should be present. Perhaps
a foundation would underwrite the necessary travel. Whoever did the
actual investigation should be featured along with the professors.
If not, short range travel should suffice.
The following points might be made:
1. Quasar's claim (what they claimed should be documented from the
news stories) would, if verified, constitute a major advance over
what the worldwide AI community believes to be the state of the
art.
2. Since they never came to scientific meetings or published and
we never heard of them we were skeptical.
3. They turned out to be remotely controlled. A robot depending
on a man in a control room is hardly useful for household chores.
4. The newspapers, wire services, and TV broadcasters have been
remiss in their duty to check marvels. They can ask well-known
scientists in the relevant field, and if they get a skeptical
answer they can investigate further.
∂18-Oct-77 2328 JMC Borrowing Boden book
To: REP
It is said you have a copy of "Artificial intelligence and natural man"
by Margaret Boden. Might I borrow it for a couple days?
∂18-Oct-77 1724 JMC
To: tk at MIT-AI
Do you know where yet? I would like to be able to reference it before the fact.
It is a first draft of a paper to be given next June at a conference on history
of programming languages. Carl or Barbara Liskov can tell you more about the
conference. I welcome corrections or suggestions for improvements. The present
draft was written in one sitting, and doesn't contain information about other
people's contributions that will be in later versions.
∂18-Oct-77 1555 JMC visit by Defense Investigative Service
To: TOB
Mr. Merrill of that organization is coming at 2pm Wednesday to
ask questions about you and would also like to talk to you if
convenient.
∂17-Oct-77 1658 JMC STOYAN
To: LISKOV at MIT-DMS
I need your help in persuading Jean Sammett to put humanitarianism
above bureaucracy and give Stoyan a letter of invitation
strong enough so that he will have a reasonable probability
of inducing East Germany to let him come. I'll try again to
phone you tomorrow. Home phone 321-7580.
∂17-Oct-77 1015 JMC
To: TOB
Unfortunately, I have an appointment at 11 far away. It is marginally
possible that I will be back by 12:30, but then I will be in all afternoon.
∂17-Oct-77 0953 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
Call it lisp.com[f77,jmc]. I wrote it in one session, so it doesn't take
into account everything that is wanted, but not all of that it relevant.
It probably should have more history to balance the pre-history, but I
think that the development of the ideas is important in the history of
LISP, and I can't help that it makes the article unpleasantly self-centered.
∂16-Oct-77 1533 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
LISP[F77,JMC] is a first draft. Comments welcome.
∂15-Oct-77 2355 JMC
To: MRC
CC: moon at MIT-AI
The voice network doesn't allow multiplexed connections, because the
probability that two users will be talking to the same other place is
low. After Dialnet is well established, there will be a great variety
of places to which people talk. Having several Dialnet ports will therefore
be of greater priority for a large system than making one port handle
several connections at once. All this depends to some extent on how
much trouble it is to implement multiple connections, and how much difficulty
providing for multiple connections makes for inexperienced system
programmers who only want to implement single connections.
∂14-Oct-77 1613 JMC
To: RDA
CC: TOB
I like your thesis proposal and will be glad to be a reader.
∂14-Oct-77 1543 JMC
To: MRC
CC: LES
ok
∂14-Oct-77 1328 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I haven't written it yet, but it won't take long. Jean Sammet is taking
a very bureaucratic attitude on the matter of inviting Stoyan. I need
to campaign about it with the program committee. Could you phone me
or say when I can phone you?
∂14-Oct-77 1222 JMC Bell Labs visit.
To: MRC, LES
R.C. Prim who is in charge of some area of communications research at
Bell Labs called and said that they are quite interested in Dialnet and
that he and Max Mathews (whom we know well) and Sandy Fraser want to
visit next month. Max will call to make arrangements. Marc, please
put a copy of your latest on Patte's desk to be sent to Prim for
them to think about.
∂14-Oct-77 0011 JMC Display system
To: LLW, LCW, TM
CC: JBR, LES
I have heard that both Intel and Zilog will be coming out early next year
with PDP-11 speed, 16 bit word, micro-processors with 32 bit addresses.
Making the display system with a PDP-11 was always a big strain, because
with a 512 by 512 array, there was only 12K words left for programs and
fonts, etc. without going to secondary storage. The new micro-processors
will make possible much more flexible display systems. Therefore, I think
we should wait for it, but if you have any sources of accurate advance
information, it would be very useful.
∂14-Oct-77 0004 JMC
To: DON, TVR
There is now a room off the necklace closet with a cryptogram on the wall.
∂13-Oct-77 1250 JMC
To: CR
The Imlac doesn't belong to the government and never did. The modem
has serial number 7649 NFPA Type II. It has a government tag that says
SD-183 and Contract No. 00746, but it may belong to Stanford by now, since
we had it before they gave us a the KA-10, etc. The Imlac is serial no. 12.
∂11-Oct-77 2118 JMC
To: LLW
CC: LES, JBR, REG
Lowell:
There has been no communication problem. I have been away, and both
Ralph Gorin and Jeff Rubin have had major debugging crises. Nevertheless,
we have to get together in the next few days and see what we can propose.
John
∂10-Oct-77 1850 JMC
To: LES
spell misspells "criticize" as "criticise"
∂10-Oct-77 1050 JMC
To: LES
We need to talk about S-1 and Dialnet.
∂09-Oct-77 1850 JMC
To: ME
NS gives ill mem ref with keyword CARTER (among others).
∂08-Oct-77 0013 JMC your paper
To: RAE
I have read it, and I'm afraid my reaction is rather negative. In the
first place, I don't see that it contributes much to the understanding of
the subjects it discusses. Secondly, it contains a number of
misstatements, some of which seem to be just careless writing, but others
seem to be caused by inadequate knowledge of mathematical logic and
program semantics. I think you need to study these subjects further. I
will be glad to discuss my objections - most of which are marked in my
copy.
∂07-Oct-77 2150 JMC I can't be a reader.
To: PAM
CC: TW
I have decided that I need to concentrate on topics closer to
my own research interests.
∂07-Oct-77 1329 JMC
To: TOB
Sure. Do it.
∂06-Oct-77 0832 JMC
To: LES
Little point in passing stuff about modems to MRC; he has a determined
lack of interest in helping decide what to do about them. What interested
me was not a microprocessor controlled modem, but a modem that did
its signal conversion in a microprocessor. Some people say that's the
way to go, and others say that microprocessors are too slow to do
the conversion at the higher transmission rates.
∂05-Oct-77 1857 JMC bug in my Imlac
To: JBR, PMF
Maybe it was software, because it now works after a system reload.
∂05-Oct-77 1542 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Sunday will be good for me, since Vera will be away. Call when ready.
∂05-Oct-77 1231 JMC
To: PAT
ringle.le2
∂03-Oct-77 1943 JMC Downtime
To: LES, JC
It is not legitimate to schedule downtime for any purpose but system
improvements or debugging. The time made available for that purpose
is not to be used for any other purpose. In 1966 it was settled that
this is a time-shared machine and only uses compatible with this are
allowed.
∂03-Oct-77 1942 JMC
To: MRC
∂03-Oct-77 1347 FTP:CERF at USC-ISI Request for help in data transfer protocol
Date: 3 OCT 1977 1339-PDT
From: CERF at USC-ISI
Subject: Request for help in data transfer protocol
To: jmc at SU-AI
cc: les at SU-AI, cerf, mills at ISIE
Mail from USC-ISIE rcvd at 3-OCT-77 1254-PDT
Date: 3 Oct 1977 1254-PDT
From: MILLS at USC-ISIE
Subject: Data transmission info request
To: [ISIE]<LOU>SATELLITE.GROUP:
0L-22T-22L22L
People:
I'm sure this problem has come up before: Does anyone have any suggestions
for inputting bulk data (about 30K bytes) from a smart terminal to a net host?
I have in mind the transfer of text from a mini over POT (Plain Old Telephone)
lines through a TIP to a TOPS-20 system, and can easily construct a pair of
cooperating FORTRAN programs, if required. My problem is possible loss of
data due to TIP buffer overruns and the like. A useful solution would be to
extend the net GA (Go-Ahead) message beyond the TIP, perhaps using the same
DC1/DC3 conventions used by TOPS-20.
If anyone knows of a source (man, machine or whatever) which can help,
I would appreciate the advice. If this is (as I suspect) likely to
bring down a rain of abuse on my poor head, I will beat a hasty retreat
to the nearest tape drive!
Regards,
Dave Mills
-------
John,
I thought you or one of your students might be able to respond as a
result of your work on dial-net.
Vint
-------
∂03-Oct-77 1940 JMC
To: PAT
I will be at Louie's banquet by myself.
∂03-Oct-77 0644 JMC MACLISP on LOTS
To: CLT
LOTS has a new operating system. Please check that everything needed
for the first batch of exercises still works. It occurs to me that
the new directory names may interact unfavorably with LISP.
∂02-Oct-77 0912 JMC
To: MRC
Disk space will be made available here and at LOTS.
∂01-Oct-77 1017 JMC
To: ellen at MIT-MC
The file is AI[W77,JMC], and I have changed it slightly.
∂01-Oct-77 0957 JMC
To: ellen at MIT-MC
I'll try to find it, but I don't remember now what I called it.
∂30-Sep-77 1851 JMC your inquiry to Carolyn Talcott
To: ellen at MIT-MC
I don't know what discussion you are referring to. A title and a few
lines might jog my memory.
∂30-Sep-77 1646 JMC
To: DPB
I need a few more days to decide whether I will be a reader of Martin's thesis.
∂30-Sep-77 0858 JMC
To: DCL
CC: DCO
I would come to the Verification Group seminar if it were at 2:30 rather
than 2. My class ends at 2:30 on Tues. and Thurs.
∂28-Sep-77 0832 JMC
To: RDR
CC: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
∂28-Sep-77 0518 RDR via AMET undergrad CS major
Have you heard any repeatable murmurings within the CS department?
Did they realize they got the petition? Is anything
happening? In particular, has anyone, or everyone, said that
Stanford CSD is too research oriented to stoop to those
low level undergrads and dismissed thier interest as "vocational?"
I have heard nothing about the petition. Too many people
are away during the summer, and no department meetings to be held.
The most effective thing would be for some interested students to
meet with the department chairman. I never heard anyone mention
the idea of an undergraduate major would be vocational. On the other
hand the department is very research oriented. The most common
point made is that the department would need more faculty to offer
an undergraduate major, and part of any proposal to the university to offer
such a major would be a request for the necessary faculty positions.
Researchers always welcome new positions, because it allows new fields
to be covered. However, organizing an undergraduate major will be
a lot of work, and I am not volunteering, even though I am convinced
of its desirability. My guess is that if requests for such a major
get to the top of the departmental agenda, and stay there for a while,
the major will happen if the university can be persuaded to allocate
the resources.
∂28-Sep-77 0014 JMC
To: BOB, JMC, sproull at CMU-10A
CC: MRC
Bob,
We have an NSF grant to develop Dialnet - protocols for giving ARPAnet
like facilities to users of telephones. We should have preliminary
protocols in a few months. The initial test machines will be
SAIL and LOTS, a DEC-20 at Stanford for teaching and unsponsored
research. Since it is a standard DEC-20, the programs will be immediately
usable by Caltech if theirs is likewise standard. Various files in
[DIA,JMC] are relevant. The man doing the work is Mark Crispin who is
called MRC here. He has some preliminary documentation in some files.
John
∂27-Sep-77 2357 JMC
To: hedberg at SUMEX-AIM
No general plan is needed. We can work it out individually.
∂21-Sep-77 0543 JMC
To: CLT
Proposed paragraph in handout is fine.
∂18-Sep-77 1355 JMC papers to Leonard Monk, Philosophy dept.
To: PAT
Please send him CONCEP, MENTAL, MINIMA, KNOW.ART[F75,JMC] and the ijcai paper.
∂18-Sep-77 1220 JMC →11632 (27-Sep-77)
To: ___JMC.PLN[2,2]
I will be at the University of Texas Computer Science Department in
Austin, Texas until September 27. I can be reached there, and if
necessary, at Woody Bledsoe's home in the evening.
∂17-Sep-77 2048 JMC
To: LES
I have seen an unknown named SOL recently.
∂17-Sep-77 1645 JMC modification to lsp.pub
To: CLT
I have put three new text responses at the head of your list. I believe
they won't harm anything you have done, and I am using them in
IMPURE[E77,JMC] which is a start on another chapter. If they offend,
however, remove them.
∂17-Sep-77 1254 JMC Disks
To: LCW
CC: JBR
Can you send me the literature on the disks (Diablo 410?) you are
considering for the S-1 or send a message to PAT about how to get the
literature? The performance of time-sharing system increasingly depends
on how they handle files stored on disks, because disk latencies can't be
sped up to the same extent as computing hardware. Therefore, I think
Maybe we should even consider a theoretical approximation in which the
system is primarily a file system and consider what would be done to
optimize its performance as such.
∂17-Sep-77 1020 JMC
To: JRA
That would be fine.
∂16-Sep-77 2358 JMC
To: ME
Recently yes, and probably since 23:38.
∂16-Sep-77 1350 JMC
To: LLW
I have replaced the last paragraph of the letter to Trimble (now called
TRIMBL.LE1[LET,JMC]) by what follows and printed and signed a copy. If
it's now ok, send a message to PAT (my secretary) asking her to send
it off. Otherwise, I'll fix it when I return a week from Tuesday.
I anticipate that the S-1 project will succeed, and if it does,
we would hope to acquire a system for our Laboratory and for the
Stanford University Computer Science Department.
∂15-Sep-77 1833 JMC
To: CLT
I think it's his thesis, and there should be a bibliography for the book.
∂15-Sep-77 1617 JMC
To: CLT
I have made minor changes to LSPCH4. I guess we can ship it.
∂14-Sep-77 2331 JMC
To: LLW
Lowell,
S1.re1[let,jmc] is a draft of the letter you requested.
John
∂14-Sep-77 2134 JMC
To: LLW
Excuse my confusing you. My idea was to talk with you about other matters
at 10 and have the meeting at 11. I have told the others to come at 11,
so I assume that will be ok with Tom and Curt. You and I could talk
afterward or some other time if 10 doesn't suit you. My only commitment
is a group of touring Swedish superannuated parliamentarians at 2:45pm.
∂14-Sep-77 2103 JMC Meeting to discuss time-sharing system for Stanford-1.
To: LCW, TM, PMF, LES, JBR, REG
CC: LLW
All but lcw and tm have already agreed to a meeting Friday at 11am
at AI Lab to discuss AI Lab undertaking time-sharing system for S-1.
I will be in Texas for 10 days after that, so it is either Friday or
after I return. Would LCW and TM please say whether Friday is
possible for them?
∂12-Sep-77 1812 JMC A system for the S-1.
To: LLW
CC: LES, JBR, REG, LCW, TM
I have talked to Jeff Rubin, our chief system programmer and
Lester Earnest, our executive officer. We are definitely interested if we
can see our way clear to eventually making the S-1 our main machine. I
have also talked to Ralph Gorin, who used to be chief system programmer,
and who is now manager of LOTS (the University's low-overhead time-sharing
system using a DEC-20. Ralph is also interested. Therefore, it looks
like we can assemble a first class team.
It seems to us that the Navy might want a system that falls short
of a full-fledged time-sharing system on the S-1. Specifically, it might
suit them to run an S-1 system as a satellite of something like a DEC-20
on which editing, compiling, and filing was done. The S-1 would be
reserved for heavy computing with object programs on big arrays and much
number crunching. Such a system could be developed quickly, but would
require buying a computer. A Unix PDP-11 system would also work, but I
would guess that an installation that made good use of an S-1 might
require the larger satellite. Such a satellite system could be gotten
working very quickly - within a year, I would imagine.
Our own interest is not in that direction, although we might do it
under some conditions. We want a complete time-sharing system running on
the S-1 that can handle a large number of users. This will take longer.
It might be that ARPA Information Processing Techniques would be
interested in helping support such a development, because they support
many PDP-10 installations that are running out of address space. If you
like, I could talk to Vint Cerf there, who used to be on the Stanford
faculty. It isn't obvious to me whether ARPA interest would be an
advantage or a disadvantage to you.
If we undertake to do a system, we will want to be sure that
it will be a good general purpose system and will be better than the
present KL-10 based system. We don't have enough talent to do justice
to both in the long run. I have not talked yet to Gio Wiederhold,
but several people seem to have got the impression that he considers
himself to have primary responsibility for the parallel-processing
time-sharing system. We will have to see how well our ideas mesh,
but our interest will depend on our prospects of meeting our goals.
What if any commitments have been made?
I should be able to get back to you in a few days with some
technical ideas, and then we should arrange a meeting.
∂12-Sep-77 1651 JMC
To: PAT
∂12-Sep-77 1643 FTP:Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM weizenbaum review
Date: 12 SEP 1977 1644-PDT
From: Feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: weizenbaum review
To: jmc at SU-AI
John, just a reminder to send down a copy of your Physics Today
review. Would you send one to Bruce too? Thanks!
Ed
-------
∂11-Sep-77 1334 JMC
To: RDR
That's a good idea. I'll do it.
∂11-Sep-77 1332 JMC
To: RDR
CC: REG, DPB
Thanks for the info abbut 105/6. I agree with their choice, mainly
because I don't want a lot of 105/6 alumni trying to do big numerical
and array computations
on LOTS with an interpreter.
∂11-Sep-77 1018 JMC
To: MRC
CC: JBR
REM's messages would be taken better coming from someone whose relation
to the Lab was less marginal, but the fact is that others prefer to
mutter under their breaths, so his messages serve a useful purpose,
and I don't want to make him stop. After we have two channels, maybe
we can think of some way to confine the long transfers to one channel
so they will mainly compete with each other.
∂10-Sep-77 0904 JMC
To: MRC
CC: LES
I have gobbled down Moon's IOELEV program. It would be worthwhile
to look at it at least; but if we want to make the DEC types happy I guess we
are stuck with DEC's bad ideas...sigh.
Sigh!! We have more than keeping D.E.C. happy for sticking with
their bad ideas in IOELEV. LOTS needS compatibility with their future
system changes.
∂10-Sep-77 0901 JMC
To: MRC
Was it Glenn Ricart at NIH who uses the NBS TIP. They are Dialnet
enthusiasts but have been transmitting information between PDP11s
by telephone. We should listen to them and try to meet their needs
if we can, but we can't commit ourselves to compatibility with their
existing implementation.
∂09-Sep-77 2009 JMC
To: REG
I think the following shows that you need to improve your relations
with the students. The main requirement is more frequent and more
informative notices of what is going on. Brief messages dictated to
Queenie would fill the need, and the co-ordinator could do much of
the work.
∂09-Sep-77 1733 FTP:Blohm at SUMEX-AIM LOTS Student Coordinator
Date: 9 SEP 1977 1734-PDT
From: Blohm at SUMEX-AIM
Subject: LOTS Student Coordinator
To: jmc at SAIL
9 - AUG - 77
Professor McCarthy,
As a student who has used LOTS extensively for the past three quarters,
I feel that I have earned the right to express my opinions regarding the
operation of LOTS. [I also have come to expect that all reasonable thoughts
should be given serious consideration.] Specifically, I feel that the
position of "Student Coordinator" as it is being advertised this year,
is totally UNREASONABLE! By making the position an almost full time
job (80%), Mr. Gorin is essentially making it impossible for ANY student
to take the job. For this reason, the job of Student Coordinator will
probably fall to a non-student! [This year, it will go to Mike Bryon,
a person who showed NO interest in LOTS until Mr. Gorin hired him for
the summer (he graduated last June).]
I feel that the Student Coordinator should be required to be a student.
A non-student just does not have the contact with the general student
populace that a student does. Furthermore, there is a way that LOTS can
get twice as much for their money. By hiring two people at 40% time,
Mr. Gorin will get two different viewpoints on any one issue. Second,
by paying two people 40% each, he will probably get about 110% time,
PROVIDED that two interested people are chosen. I have discussed this
possibility with a number of students who were interested, and they all
agreed that while they could not handle an 80% job; they could handle
a 40% job. As to the type of people who are desirable to have for
coordinator, it would probably be best to have one science/engineering
student and one social science student.
What do you think?
Jeff Blohm
-------
How do you envisage the job of student co-ordinator? It seems to me that
we don't need two people just to express viewpoints. I would like your
view on how much co-ordinating there is to do. I am not sure of Ralph's
exact view on how much co-ordinating he needs as compared to programming,
but it's certainly clear that in the immediate future we have a lot of
tuning of the system to do. I suspect his view of the matter is influenced
by the fact that David Roode got into an adversary position almost
immediately. By the way, I assume you have sent a message of similar
content to Ralph.
∂09-Sep-77 1828 FTP:Blohm at SUMEX-AIM
Date: 9 SEP 1977 1829-PDT
From: Blohm at SUMEX-AIM
To: jmc at SAIL
What I feel the duties of the student coordinator should be:
1) Serve as a user to staff interface for complaints, etc. The fact is,
some users just can't converse with Ralph, and find it much more
convenient to talk to a fellow student. Also, a lot of students are
afraid of Mr. Gorin.
2) He should make life "easier" for the users. This entails making
various system programs, such as "OPEN" easier for the user to
understand.
3) He (or she, in fact, it would be rather nice to have a female
coordinator) should keep the users informed. Actually, this is Mr.
Gorin's job, but he never seems to do it. Users should be given
access to concise information describing the state of the system
(this does not necessarily have to be in the form of a system message,
a constantly updated file would work fine). Most users (myself
included don't understand such explanations as "continuing REV10
upgrade".
4) He should keep in touch with other systems in the country, bringing
updated versions of programs to LOTS. Again, this should be done
by Ralph or Mo, because the student coordinator's job is transitory
in nature. For instance, Dave is constantly bringing over revisions
of SOS; and by his request, I am working with the author of HG in
order to make it compatable to the LOTS environment and bring it
over.
Undoubtedly, there are more tasks that are the SC's responsibility, but
these are the one's that come to mind. As for LOTS's present situation,
certainly, what we need now is more programming. However, the job
description for SC states that the candidate should have a general
knowledge of computing languages, NOT that he be a hacker! Of course,
if a candidate is a hacker, this should be counted as an asset.
If you don't mind, I'd like to come back to my suggestion of having one
person from "hard" science and another from the social sciences. There is
no shortage of people who could both program and work with the users. For
instance, in the social science's we have such people as JQJOHNSON and
KO (who has indicated an interest in the position, IF it was 40%). Both
of them are excellent PROGRAMMERS as well as students. Knowing the way
people divide their time, by hiring two people, you would get more than
you would get if you hired one person at 80%.
A final thought, I think that student's should have some kind of input
in the decision of who is chosen as coordinator. After all, he will be
their representative! In addition, it precludes the possibility of the
manager choosing a "patsy", who will always side with him on all issues.
Also, if a coordinator the students don't like is chosen, LOTS could very
well lose the services of a number of programmers (they could/would vacate
to such places as SCIP,SAIL,SRI,or SUMEX).
-------
∂09-Sep-77 1821 JMC NSF proposal at long last
To: LES
On your desk is a copy. Would you read it to see if it
has everything in it that NSF needs. Please check the budget also.
Maybe it needs something more connecting the Lab support elements of
the budget with the goals of the research. The total sum needs to be
inserted on the front page. The source is NSF[E77,JMC].
∂09-Sep-77 1807 JMC
To: creary at SUMEX-AIM
The following are pubbable versions of these papers. A note to PAT here
will get you printed versions: MINIMA[S77,JMC], MENTAL[F76,JMC], CONCEP[E76,JMC].
∂09-Sep-77 1750 JMC
To: blohm at SUMEX-AIM
How do you envisage the job of student co-ordinator? It seems to me that
we don't need two people just to express viewpoints. I would like your
view on how much co-ordinating there is to do. I am not sure of Ralph's
exact view on how much co-ordinating he needs as compared to programming,
but it's certainly clear that in the immediate future we have a lot of
tuning of the system to do. I suspect his view of the matter is influenced
by the fact that David Roode got into an adversary position almost
immediately. By the way, I assume you have sent a message of similar
content to Ralph.
∂09-Sep-77 1505 JMC
To: CLT
Here is a suggestion for the initial paragraphs of the appendix:
Examples of Computer-checked proofs
In chapter 3 we showed how to prove that certain recursive
LISP programs meet their specifications. The techniques presented
in that chapter require further development before they can be
economically applied to large programs. One requirement is that the
proofs be checked by computer, since there is just as much opportunity
for wishful thinking in writing or reading a proof of correctness as
there is in writing the program in the first place.
This appendix contains proofs of the correctness of
%2samefringe%1 in a form acceptable to a first order logic
proof-checker called FOL developed at the Stanford University Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory. An FOL proof is organized into several
parts. The object of this organization is first to establish the
language in which the proof is made, then to present the general
axioms of the field of reasoning (LISP programs in the present case),
then to present the facts about the particular problem (the function
definitions in present case), and finally to give the proof itself.
If the stage has been properly set, the proof itself will be short
and comprehensible as well as acceptable to the computer.
∂09-Sep-77 0011 JMC
To: PAT
Please decorate miller.le5 as a LOTS memo with a copy to gorin and mo.and Jim Adams.
∂08-Sep-77 1635 JMC letter to Peter Weiner
To: PAT
Dear Peter:
Thanks for your note. You may be interested in the enclosed writeup on
Dialnet with a view to adding Dialnet capability to UNIX.
∂08-Sep-77 1357 JMC
To: LES
CC: MRC
Please improve the short Dialnet blurb as you proposed. Let's wait on the
modem till we see the Vadic literature which is being mailed, but let's
plan to go ahead with one or the other promptly. We also need new
dialers at each end. Vadic sells them and Telco rents them. I want
a separate dialer for Dialnet, because the program should be a package,
and the using the other dialer would mean that the program would have
to take into account other uses of the dialer.
∂07-Sep-77 2153 JMC
To: DGR
The design has started. Mark Crispin has been working on the project
since early in July. He is called MRC here and has already prepared
some documents. I suggest you introduce yourself by a message to MRC
here. He is logged in at the moment.
∂07-Sep-77 1234 JMC
To: MRC
Thanks, please do it.
∂07-Sep-77 1233 JMC
To: PAT
also davis.le3
∂07-Sep-77 1217 JMC
To: PAT
Please pub and print BOLLES.LE1 and include the Dialnet paper.
∂05-Sep-77 0119 JMC Book with invited addresses
To: erman at CMU-10B
Is there in fact a plan to publish a book with the invited addresses.
If so, can I revise mine, and by when would this have to be done. If
not, I may publish it in MI9.
∂05-Sep-77 0119 JMC Book with invited addresses
To: reddy at CMU-10B
Is there in fact a plan to publish a book with the invited addresses.
If so, can I revise mine, and by when would this have to be done. If
not, I may publish it in MI9.
∂04-Sep-77 1520 JMC Swap or buy
To: LYNCH at SRI-KL
CC: RAPHAEL at SRI-KL, REG, LES
The one possibility that occurs to me is that LOTS might want to
buy or swap for some night-time use just before final exams. We
could offer daytime use in summer or maybe just money.
The big problem would be terminal access in either direction.
∂04-Sep-77 0026 JMC Inclusion in your document
To: MRC
Please include the following paragraph in any Dialnet protocol
document that are to be read outside Stanford.
Also please include Les in your messages. Let's also use Dialnet as
a proper name for the project.
These protocols are being developed as part of the Dialnet project
at the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Laboratory supported
by NSF grant xxx(get the right number from Hersche) with John McCarthy
as Principal Investigator. The project is described
in a paper available at SU-AI as DIALNE[DIA,JMC].
∂03-Sep-77 1710 JMC Crowding on your machine.
To: lynch at SRI-KL
I notice that your users complain about crowding but don't use the machine
much at night or on weekends. A place like SRI will never have as much
night use of a time-sharing system as a university, but if more of your
people had reasonable home terminals, e.g. Datamedias, the usage would
spread out somewhat more than it has.
∂03-Sep-77 0003 JMC
To: DON
"Put air in X" where X is a container kills the program.
∂03-Sep-77 0001 JMC
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
CC: DON
Is killing DUNGEON in two moves a record?
@<mdl>dungeon
Welcome to Dungeon.
You are in an open field west of a big white house, with a boarded
front door.
There is a small mailbox here.
>open box
Opening the mailbox reveals a leaflet.
>put air in box
I'm sorry, you seem to have encountered an error in the program.
Send mail to DUNGEON@MIT-DMS describing what it was you tried to do.
NTH-REST-PUT-OUT-OF-RANGE!-ERRORS
PUTTER
Your score is 0 [total of 448 points], in 2 moves.
This score gives you the rank of Beginner.
∂02-Sep-77 2036 JMC
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
sapphire-encrusted bracelet here.
>d
There is no way to go in that direction.
>fill sack with air
I can't parse that.
>open sack
Opening the sandwich bag reveals a clove of garlic, and a .lunch.
>take garlic
Taken.
>take lunch
Taken.
>put air in sack
I'm sorry, you seem to have encountered an error in the program.
Send mail to DUNGEON@MIT-DMS describing what it was you tried to do.
NTH-REST-PUT-OUT-OF-RANGE!-ERRORS
PUTTER
Your score is 51 [total of 448 points], in 196 moves.
This score gives you the rank of Novice Adventurer.
@k
[Confirm]
Logout Job 20, User SU-AI, Account SYSV, TTY 235, at 2-Sep-77 20:38:30
Used 0:0:9 in 0:25:58
Connection has been closed
Reset received from host
Host dead
Data quota overflow
End of file
Site: ↑C
↑C
.r ppsav
∂02-Sep-77 1632 JMC
To: REF
Vera has disappeared for the weekend, leaving me accepting invitations.
∂31-Aug-77 1057 JMC TA office space
To: RDR, REG, wiederhold at SUMEX-AIM
When terminals are moved to Terman, we will need less space for them
in CERAS. Perhaps CERAS will agree to let us keep all the terminals
we have in the lobby, and make more of 105 into office space.
∂31-Aug-77 1054 JMC
To: mf at MIT-AI
Unless you know something I don't, you can't carry treasures, except the
painting, up the chimney.
∂30-Aug-77 1601 JMC
To: PAT
Can you get me a xerox of the article referred to.
∂30-Aug-77 1534 MS
I and Mr. Ono have something to say about non-knowledge. Do you have
time to discuss this afternoon? Do you, by any chance, have a copy of
the Journal of Philosophy, vol. 72, no. 19, Nov. 6, l975, pp 690-716?
This issue contains an article by Kripke
∂30-Aug-77 0121 JMC
To: DON
The above is more suitable for a program than a person.
∂30-Aug-77 0117 JMC Using the thief
To: DON
The thief's cycle, if he has a fixed cycle, has length about 122.
Suppose one could establish his itinerary, i.e. in what phase in
the cycle he is in what room. The gaps would indicate unknown
rooms, and the order would say something about what the game
designers were thinking about.
∂30-Aug-77 0024 JMC
To: DON
I suppose the "invisible object" is just a grammatical goof. Had you
left an object in the basket, it would have appeared in that place.
As for the sack, it fits in the receptacle even if it contains the
brick which will not fit in the receptacle by itself. My far-fetched
idea is to collect coal gas (lighter than air) in the sack. Alas, I
can't guess what the receptacle is. I would guess a torch holder if there
were a way of not using up the torch or restoring it, but
perhaps it's a valve for gas, turnable with screwdriver or wrench.
TAKE VALVE might elicit a response if there is one.
∂29-Aug-77 2337 JMC
To: DON
I forget whether I told you that I am thinking of trying to collect
coal gas, but don't give it much of a probability. The sack is described
as a tall brown bag, and it is non-flammable.
∂29-Aug-77 1451 JMC
To: psz at MIT-ML
Unfortunately, no-one seems to be organizing such a conference. There is
a conference on the history of programming languages to be held in Boston
next June and LISP is one of the languages included. Dr. Stoyan should
have received an invitation to that conference.
∂29-Aug-77 0925 JMC
To: DON
I haven't tried getting 357 points recently. Did you perhaps forget to
put something in the trophy case? I have tried burning the leaves and
the listings. My current idea, which I have not tried, is see if the
coal gas can be used, or, even more far fetched, to see if one of the
sources of water is really a source of oil. It would be cute if the
solution were to burn the brick rather than explode it.
∂28-Aug-77 1136 JMC Baran and Farber
To: GFF
Many thanks for pointing me at it. Their view that computation and
communication are inseparable, if accepted, will lead to excessive
regulatory activity. If we can get Dialnet (and/or PCNET) working
soon enough, the regulators can be faced with a fait accompli. Any
help in achieving this will be welcome.
∂28-Aug-77 1133 JMC Your paper with Farber.
To: pbaran at USC-ISI
Geoff Goodfellow pointed me at it. Some comments are in BARAN.RE1[E77,JMC]
at SU-AI. I find one major point - the inseparability of compuation
and communication - unsupported, mistaken, and likely to lead to pernicious
regulatory activity if believed. I would be glad to discuss the issues
further, either on the telephone or by net mail.
∂28-Aug-77 1132 JMC Your paper with Farber
To: baran at USC-ISI
Geoff Goodfellow pointed me at it. Some comments are in BARAN.RE1[E77,JMC]
at SAIL. I find a major point - that communication and computation
are inseparable - unsupported, mistaken, and likely to lead to pernicious
regulatory activity if believed.
I would be happy to discuss the issues further, either by messages or by
telephone.
∂27-Aug-77 2215 JMC
To: DON
No. Enter doesn't work.
∂27-Aug-77 2212 JMC
To: DON
Yes, it answers to the name of balloon and can be boarded.
∂27-Aug-77 1653 JMC
To: TVR
If so then the obvious thing to try is burning the leaves in the basket.
∂27-Aug-77 0924 JMC
To: TED
NYT seems to be broken.
∂27-Aug-77 0132 JMC zork
To: mf at MIT-AI
Handing the lit bomb to the thief doesn't work. He puts it in his bag
and leaves, but you get blown up - not him.
∂27-Aug-77 0129 JMC Crocks and bugs.
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
Did you receive my previous message about the explosion taking place
in the room in which the brick was put in a container rather than
the room in which the fuse is lit? It seems like a bug; if it's a
feature one is supposed to use, it looks too much like a bug to be
aesthetic.
Speaking of aesthetics, the coke bottles and listings seem rather
narcissistic, and one can't be enthusiastic about trying to use
them.
Just now, I handed the lit bomb to the thief. He took it and left, it said.
However, I got blown up - not the thief.
Further crock. When I got blown up, I was carrying the coffin, and it
reappeared in the kitchen, where I ignored it and went back
into the dungeon to the glacier room. When I attempted to leave
through a passage too narrow for coffins, it refused to let me
do so, although "inventory" confirmed that I was not carrying
the coffin. Another variable not properly updated.
It had let me in through the narrow passage.
I must confess that I have been exploring these strange possibilities,
because I have no better ideas at present about how to get beyond
357 points.
∂24-Aug-77 2134 JMC
To: REG
I trust your judgment entirely in this matter.
∂24-Aug-77 2131 JMC
To: morris at PARC-MAXC
May the truth win. I'm still at IJCAI.
∂24-Aug-77 2127 JMC
To: MJL
CC: CLT
Carolyn Talcott (CLT) has been helping revise them. We want to
sell them and the Maclisp manual in the bookstore. I'll
be back Friday night and review progress. By when must they
be available? Some chapters have been revised.
∂21-Aug-77 2128 JMC via AI samefringe
To: boyer at SRI-KL, boyer at SRI-KL
Your proofs look very nice, but it isn't clear to me whether you
proved termination. To put it sharply, if I write the Lisp
definition. (DEFUN PARADOX (x) (not (paradox x))), can
I then prove anything?
∂21-Aug-77 2118 JMC
To: lots at SRI-KL
I am inclined to agree with your message and would like to
know whom I am agreeing with.
∂18-Aug-77 2318 JMC via AI
To: PAT
I will make transparencies here, and won't need slides.
∂16-Aug-77 2209 JMC via AI
To: PAM
What were you doing editing my mail file?
∂16-Aug-77 0117 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Suppes a copy of the memo sent to Massy.
∂16-Aug-77 0041 JMC
To: bobrow at PARC-MAXC
When and where is our panel?
∂15-Aug-77 1653 JMC Antoine Cuvelier
To: JC
He has asked to use the computer for the next ten days, for some
IRCAM connected project. If you consider what he is doin worth while,
I agree. However, the fact that many people will be at IJCAI during
that period was my main reason for agreeing.
∂15-Aug-77 1648 JMC
To: PAT
Please get Peggy Waters a minimal allocation of computer as MJW.
∂15-Aug-77 1457 JMC
To: PAT
I need copies of FIRST, MENTAL, MINIMA, EXOTIC, and CONCEP.
∂15-Aug-77 1456 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Suppes a copy of the memo I sent to Massy, et. al.
∂14-Aug-77 1224 JMC
To: JC
Could the following have been intended for you?
∂14-Aug-77 1111 100 : Cuthbert Breakfast
Cheese blintzes with Elizabeth.
∂13-Aug-77 2111 JMC
To: RWW
I'll bring a copy on Tuesday.
∂13-Aug-77 0920 JMC
To: cerf at USC-ISI
Vint,
We have just hired Mark Crispin to work on the Dialnet project,
and we don't have protocols yet. Our present plan is to try out the
protocols on 1200 bit/sec lines. PCNET seems to be suffering from
committee disease - overelaboration from trying to get everybody's
ideas in. There also seems to be a shortage of actual PCs.
John
∂12-Aug-77 2308 JMC Suspected bug.
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
I note that if the brick is put in the sack, the sack is transported
somewhere, and the wire is burned, then the explosion takes place
at the place where the brick was put in the sack rather than where
the explosion was set off. This is also true of putting the brick
in the coffin and moving the coffin. Kindly state if this is purely
a bug. I note that after the explosion, the container is described
as containing the brick, though not the wire, but attempting to take
the brick fails. No harm comes from holding the bag while the explosion
takes place.
∂12-Aug-77 2305 JMC discovery
To: DON
I now suspect that I have discovered a bug, not a feature. Putting
the brick in a container and carrying the container somewhere else
and setting off the explosion in the container causes the explosion
to take place in the room in which the brick was placed in the container
rather than in the room where the brick is when the explosion takes
place.
∂12-Aug-77 1912 JMC zork
To: DON
An explosion doesn't destroy the engravings, although it does destroy the
grail even when untouched.
∂12-Aug-77 1911 JMC
To: postel at USC-ISIB
Thanks, I'll take you up on it when we have something. Mark Crispin,
whom you may know, is working on the protocols.
∂12-Aug-77 1542 JMC
To: RWW
Filman has fixed the bibliography.
∂12-Aug-77 1154 JMC
To: REG
You will have to implement the thing.
∂11-Aug-77 1323 JMC
To: REF
Yes, cite it as given at IJCAI-77, but to appear in SIGART Newsletter.
∂10-Aug-77 2123 JMC
To: DON
Alas, I guess I'm to busy for any more zorking till the end of the month.
∂10-Aug-77 1048 JMC
To: DON
I also tried lowering with the same result. Yes, let's pool.
∂09-Aug-77 1324 JMC
To: PAT
Please decorate americ.le2[let,jmc]. This one is urgent.
∂09-Aug-77 0953 JMC
To: DON, TVR
I have heard nothing about taking the engravings.
∂08-Aug-77 2136 JMC
To: DON
According to Tovar, your conjecture is correct. The yellow turns on
the green light, and the brown turns it off.
∂08-Aug-77 1701 JMC
To: RWW
Who did you think would complete the references for your part of the NSF proposal?
∂08-Aug-77 1218 JMC zork
To: DON
I tried planting the stick using guano as fertilizer with the idea
that it is a cutting. It doesn't know "plant", and putting the stick
in the guano doesn't work even after digging. I might try the garlic,
but it's a long shot. By the way, only the yellow button is needed to
turn on the green light.
Thanks for the weights and the packing info. The message about not
being able to go through the door yourself seems significant. Could
the thief be made to open it? I have also thought of booby trapping
the coffin with the brick and lighting the fuse just when the thief
comes to steal it, but alas this world has few properties the programmers
haven't thought of.
∂06-Aug-77 1104 JMC
To: DON
Gunk is one of the official names for the contents of the tube.
∂05-Aug-77 2256 JMC
To: DON
zork[e77,jmc]/7p contains weights.
∂05-Aug-77 1042 JMC
To: MRC
I'll dredge out what's relevant. There is no special need for Sumex to
come into it at this time. Please concentrate on getting draft protocols.
∂04-Aug-77 2338 JMC
To: RAK
∂04-Aug-77 2311 RAK Mistak
By your comments do I gather that page 3 is it? What directory is it in
again?
Dick
page 3 mistak[e77,jmc]
∂04-Aug-77 2252 JMC MISTAK
To: RAK
Your version on page 3 looks good, although it doesn't answer any specific
anti-nuclear arguments.
∂03-Aug-77 0037 JMC Rivest cipher
To: WD
I understood you to say that it wasn't obvious how to get p and q from
s and t. Perhaps I misunderstood, because the following seems to work:
st ≡ 1 (mod phi(pq) = pq(1-1/p)(1-1/q) = (p-1)(q-1)), i.e.
st = a(p-1)(q-1)+1. However, a is easily determined, since we know pq,
and (p-1)(q-1) will be only slightly less. In fact, it seems that
a = [st/(pq)]+1. This gives us (p-1)(q-1), so that we have p+q and pq
and solving a quadratic gives p and q. Thus the problem of solving the
cipher is fully equivalent to factoring pq.
As to the latter, I suspect that powerful factoring methods may
exist when a number is known to be the product of exactly two primes.
Notice that if we had a↑b ≡ 1 (mod pq) for just one a and b, we would
have a factor of (p-1)(q-1). Most likely this possibility has already
been thoroughly explored.
∂01-Aug-77 2316 JMC
To: RAK
Just got back from dinner. Sure go ahead.
∂01-Aug-77 2215 JMC Leaflet to demonstrators.
To: RAK
This is not the one we are promising for the press, but MISTAK[E77,JMC]
is a draft of one aimed at the demonstrators themselves.
∂01-Aug-77 1657 JMC lisp history
To: hewitt at MIT-AI
Thanks for the list of questions. I will make sure the draft addresses
all of them. I wonder if you would check at M.I.T., especially the
RLE document room for relevant documents, especially RLE progress
reports. I would like xeroxes of anything that turns up.
Also, would you pester Jean Sammett to fulfill her promise to send
Stoyan, remmeber him, a formal invitation to the conference. I wanted
him to be an invited commentator, but she gave me a hard time.
∂30-Jul-77 0551 JMC bug
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
Tying rope to railing after untying it loses with
NTH-REST-PUT-OUT-OF-RANGE!-ERRORS ROPE-FUNCTION.
∂29-Jul-77 1803 JMC grump
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
1. How can 50,000 pounds of rock fall on me when I'm in the clearing
under the sky?
2. How about fixing the grammar of "The window opens with difficulty ...".
to something like "You open the window with difficulty..."
∂29-Jul-77 1555 JMC Emergency
To: pratt at MIT-AI
As the man says, "I don't care what you say about me so long as you
spell my name correctly". You have synthesized for me a middle
initial. I don't use one, and when I had one, it wasn't M. Jerry
Pournelle provided me with R, but that wasn't right either. You have
also misspelled "Electrotechnical Laboratory". I like the paper up
to page 11. More substantive comments later.
∂29-Jul-77 1057 JMC
To: hart at SRI-KL
I think his ideas are often pedestrian, but there is no doubt about
his ability to accomplish the goals he sets himself.
∂29-Jul-77 1055 JMC
To: DON
My meta-I files rarely work at DM, so I use SRI-KL. I am thinking
about a LISP adventurer's assistant that could be programmed to
go places and get things on the basis of knowledge accumulated so
far.
∂28-Jul-77 2048 JMC zork
To: DON
I know how to use wire; willing to trade.
∂27-Jul-77 1832 JMC
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
Is it a bug that LIGHT CANDLE WITH MATCH no longer works at SRI-KL?
∂27-Jul-77 1706 JMC Thesis proposal
To: DBG
1. I like the direction in which you are proposing to go.
2. If you aren't going to drive the cart, then you might consider
taking pictures yourself and processing them.
3. I haven't come to a definite conclusion, but lean to asking for a
bit more than you propose.
4. Since you won't have the inertial navigation, etc., perhaps you should
plan to calibrate by having a known large object in the scene.
∂24-Jul-77 2321 JMC
To: RAK
Very sorry, I went out to eat and forgot.
∂23-Jul-77 1449 JMC
To: dungeon at MIT-DMS
At dms, echo works. At sri-kl I think echo originally worked, but I had
to change it at some time to eecho, and some said that <blank>echo worked.
As of last night, neither worked and neither did any obvious variant.
As to how I got it to lose, I usually take the painting, drug the cyclops
and return, then go to the dam, open it, and then go down for the bar
after picking up the boat and the pump. The files scr.1, scr.2 and scr.3
on [e77,jmc] accomplish this. When sri-kl gets fixed, please let me know.
∂22-Jul-77 2252 JMC BUG OR FEATURE
To: DUNGEON at MIT-DMS
Is it a bug or a feature that the previous solution to the the loud room,
saying ECHO no longer works?
∂22-Jul-77 1100 JMC
To: cerf at USC-ISI
You have to say EXORCISE at the entrance while posessing bell, book and candle.
The candle must be lit, which will require a match if it has blown out. If you
find out about how to get the ruby or how to get into the section of the dungeon
off the Egyptian room, I would be grateful for a clue. The greatest sin I have
been able to commit is to burn the book.
Mark Crispin has just come to work on Dialnet, so we should have some
definite plans soon.
∂06-Jan-78 1017 JMC
To: BS
No rush. I'll pick up the info on Tuesday.