Since this is now the third time that the blog post is posted on HN, I think it is as good a time as any to ask a few additional and deepening questions about this topic.
For example, do bloggers and those who promote them also have some responsibility in the stated outcome? Does the quote "στέργει γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἄγγελον κακῶν ἐπῶν" not originate from the same play that tells us: "οὔτοι συνέχθειν, ἀλλὰ συμφιλεῖν ἔφυν", and should we not take this quite literally and participate in promoting the glory and successes of Prolog applications instead of disproportionally advertising cases of their failure? Would Prolog fare better if more endorsing blog posts were written and more prominently featured? Can the posted question even be decisively answered with our current knowledge? Is Prolog not still evolving?
Further, should we promote anthropomorphism in science? Pertaining to this latter point, here is one quote:
Regrettably we cannot sweep this nonsense under the rug by saying “Why bother? This is only popular press”. It finds its echo in publications that are intended to be serious, such as Grace M. Hopper’s article with the title “The education of a computer.”. It also finds its reflection in the multi-billion yen mistake of the Japanese “fifth generation computer project”, of which you may have heard. It would have taken care of the Japanese competition; regrettably —for the Western world— they seem to come to their senses, as the larger Japanese companies are pulling out of the efforts aimed at blurring the distinction between Man and Machine.
For example, do bloggers and those who promote them also have some responsibility in the stated outcome? Does the quote "στέργει γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἄγγελον κακῶν ἐπῶν" not originate from the same play that tells us: "οὔτοι συνέχθειν, ἀλλὰ συμφιλεῖν ἔφυν", and should we not take this quite literally and participate in promoting the glory and successes of Prolog applications instead of disproportionally advertising cases of their failure? Would Prolog fare better if more endorsing blog posts were written and more prominently featured? Can the posted question even be decisively answered with our current knowledge? Is Prolog not still evolving?
Further, should we promote anthropomorphism in science? Pertaining to this latter point, here is one quote:
Regrettably we cannot sweep this nonsense under the rug by saying “Why bother? This is only popular press”. It finds its echo in publications that are intended to be serious, such as Grace M. Hopper’s article with the title “The education of a computer.”. It also finds its reflection in the multi-billion yen mistake of the Japanese “fifth generation computer project”, of which you may have heard. It would have taken care of the Japanese competition; regrettably —for the Western world— they seem to come to their senses, as the larger Japanese companies are pulling out of the efforts aimed at blurring the distinction between Man and Machine.
Source: https://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD09xx/E...