<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing) --> <!--X-From-R13: [nex Uevggre <znexNreqbf.Egnasbeq.SRG> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 02:22:32 -0700 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 199906020919.CAA04760#erdos,Stanford.EDU --> <!--X-Content-Type: text --> <!--X-Reference: 199906020735.CAA09102#laurel,actlab.utexas.edu --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:mark#erdos,Stanford.EDU"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00379.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00381.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00379.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00381.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00380">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00380">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00380">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>[MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</LI> <LI><em>From</em>: Mark Gritter <<A HREF="mailto:mark#erdos,Stanford.EDU">mark#erdos,Stanford.EDU</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 02:19:41 -0700 (PDT)</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> Cynbe ru Taren writes: > > There's a common myth that natural language would make a great > programming language if only we could write compilers for it. > > This is flat-out WRONG. > > Remember that Algol was invented well before electronic computers, > simply because natural language sucks as a medium for giving precise > directions, even between humans. > Umm... I don't believe this is correct. Algol was invented in the late 1950's (first formalized in 1958), and there were certainly electronic computers before then. EDVAC was built in 1952. > Mathematicians similarly developed math notation because natural > language is completely inadequate for precise communication. > But a MUD doesn't need "precise communication"! Neither does anybody but mathematicians and computer programmers. Lawyers, the military, and business managers all find English sufficient for their needs. (Certainly each with their own jargon, style, and conventions, but all three groups use recognizable "natural language".) In fact, I'd argue that mathematical notation isn't any more "precise" than natural language. Most proofs are done using the writer's native tongue rather than a formal system--- specialized notation is just a shorthand. It's simpler, easier, and more efficient to write "x + y \equiv 2 (mod N)" than to say "The sum of the values of the variables 'x' and 'y' is in the same congruence class as 2, when all numbers that differ by a multiple of 'N' are in the same congruence class." But it's no less precise--- mathematical notation is a fairly recent invention in the history of mathematics. I agree wholeheartedly that users want consistency and "intuitiveness"--- but I don't believe that they really want to learn a different set of conventions from what they already know. Also, in the absence of comprehensive NLP (not to mention Natural Language _Understanding_) I agree that a simpler, more constrained language probably gives a better experience--- not to mention requiring fewer keystrokes! :) There is also the issue of whether you _must_ be understood the "first time" or not. For computer programs, this is obviously true--- and for most MUDs, this is the case as well, since their design doesn't keep input state from one command to the next. An NLP parser, however, should have the ability to ask questions and attempt to resolve ambiguities through dialogue. I think the lack of this feedback is probably more crippling than any inefficiency or lack of clarity in English itself. Mark Gritter mgritter#cs,stanford.edu _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev maillist - MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <ul compact><li><strong>Follow-Ups</strong>: <ul> <li><strong><A NAME="00381" HREF="msg00381.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong> <ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Caliban Tiresias Darklock <caliban#darklock,com></li></ul> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00379" HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Cynbe ru Taren <cynbe#muq,org></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00381.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00381.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00380"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00380"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><STRONG>Re: [MUD-Dev] Re[2]: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <ul compact> <LI><strong><A NAME="00416" HREF="msg00416.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Re[2]: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 01:50 GMT </LI> </ul> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00429" HREF="msg00429.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 04:36 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00438" HREF="msg00438.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Greg Miller <a href="mailto:gmiller#classic-games,com">gmiller#classic-games,com</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 05:59 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </ul> </ul> <LI><strong><A NAME="00379" HREF="msg00379.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Text Parsing</A></strong>, Cynbe ru Taren <a href="mailto:cynbe#muq,org">cynbe#muq,org</a>, Wed 02 Jun 1999, 07:35 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00380" HREF="msg00380.html">[MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Mark Gritter <a href="mailto:mark#erdos,Stanford.EDU">mark#erdos,Stanford.EDU</a>, Wed 02 Jun 1999, 09:22 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00381" HREF="msg00381.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Wed 02 Jun 1999, 10:26 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00386" HREF="msg00386.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Travis S. Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Wed 02 Jun 1999, 14:07 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00395" HREF="msg00395.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Matthew Mihaly <a href="mailto:diablo#best,com">diablo#best,com</a>, Wed 02 Jun 1999, 22:23 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00409" HREF="msg00409.html">[MUD-Dev] Re[2]: [MUD-Dev] Languages (slightly offtopic, was Text Parsing)</A></strong>, Travis Casey <a href="mailto:efindel#io,com">efindel#io,com</a>, Thu 03 Jun 1999, 00:37 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </ul> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>