Author: Ed Schröder
Date: 07:34:50 12/31/02
Go up one level in this thread
On December 31, 2002 at 09:34:07, Martin Giepmans wrote: >On December 31, 2002 at 06:55:09, David Rasmussen wrote: > >>On December 30, 2002 at 03:17:38, Martin Giepmans wrote: >> >>>Yesterday, when I woke up from my (off line) Christmas sleep >>>and logged on to CCC, the news was everywhere: >>> >>> *** Ed reveals his secrets! *** >>> >>>Astonishing! >>> >>>Basically I agree with what others have said about it. >>>It is a very nice thing to do, a wonderful Christmas present. >>> >>>But there are also other feelings. >>>Imagine a programmer who has worked for years to improve his >>>engine. He has discovered many ideas that Ed also discovered, >>>or similar ones. These ideas gave his engine an edge and >>>of course he has never revealed them to anyone. >>> >>>Then, one day he logges on to CCC and ... >>>How would this programmer feel? >>>Not too happy, I guess! >>> >> >>So what? >> >>The way I see it, there is no reason that a horde of talented amateurs are >>spending 10 years to come up with the same things as Ed and others have. You >>don't have to be able to come up with the same things in the same time to be >>talented. And you certainly don't have to be able to come up with the same >>things in much shorter time to be talented. Revealing his secrets will give the >>amateur field a good kick forward so all are up to appx. the same level. Chess >>programmming techniques are being kept secret the way they are because of the >>petty money involved. If it was scientifically important (and it might be) to >>make good chess programs, all techniques would be publicized and the entire >>field would benefit from this, and even stronger programs would result overall, >>in the same timeframe. As it is now, a few people hold the lead, for no other >>reason than money. That's fine by me, it's just not what's best for the field. >>The idea that holdning back information causes competition is ridiculous. It >>just narrows the people thinking on the edge of technology to a very little >>crowd. >I agree. Money was and is the main obstacle. Money certainly is, there is another main reason too, competition. It makes little sense to compete while giving away your idea's. Ed >I'm not sure, though, if holding back information and ideas is always a bad >thing. One advantage is that it forces those who don't have access to all that >is known to think for themselves. >When you use your own mind you might just reinvent the wheel, but you >might also find new and better approaches. >And even if you just reinvent the wheel, there is still the joy of discovery! > >To me sharing is OK and secrets are also OK. I think there should be >some kind of balance between these two. Too much sharing promotes laziness. >On the other hand, if there are to many secrets, if there is a lack of >communication, our minds start to run in circles. >We are after all social beings. We _need_ communication. > >>Ed is my hero :) > >Mine too. I think he deserves a Turing prize! > >Martin > >> >>/David
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