Re: Turing Test Meaningless?

[lesherjt@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (John Lesher)]

Nathan Mates (nathan@cco.caltech.edu) wrote:
: In article <4m55d8$d8n@news.ysu.edu>,
: Adalbert Goertz <be404@yfn.ysu.edu> wrote:
: >>2) e.e. cummings you're not. Learn to capitalize, write full sentences
: >>that are complete thoughts, and don't indent lines
: >>randomly. Left-justified lines of 70 columns (except for indenting the
: >>first line of a _paragraph_ 3-5 spaces) are the norm.

: >>   Authority: Strunk & White, an excellent grammatical book available
: >>at finer bookstores everywhere.

: >This tone is disgusting, but nothing new from Mr.Mates.

:    Once again, you prove that all you seem to care about is the tone,
: not the facts presented in the posting. Fact is, English has rules,
: and if you continuously and egregiously break them without being a
: famous poet, you look stupid.

Mr. Mates-

	Would you be so kind as to tell me how certain poets GOT TO BE
FAMOUS without breaking those rules?  Yes, there are rules for English.
And if you're going to be writing a thesis or a paper, you should
follow those rules.  But this is the INTERNET.  The Internet is known
for its anarchic style, its 'Je nais se quois.' <-- (Apologies to any
Frenchmen who might be reading this.)  THERE ARE NO GRAMMATICAL RULES
ON THE INTERNET.  

	When you're trying to put across an idea -- ANY IDEA -- you
use any method to your disposal.  You DO try to make your point as 
clear as possible.  This is why there are rules in English -- to make
transmitted ideas as clear as possible.  But it is NOT THE END OF THE
WORLD if you BREAK THE RULES.  As long as the idea you are trying to
transmit is sent, WHO CARES about grammar.  Or speling :-).

Tilghman