From: Dr. Steven Vere
Subject: Seeking programmers fluent in Lisp and C++
Date: 
Message-ID: <7vnc8c$vt0$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net>
   Mindmaker presently has two immediate openings for Lisp programmers
who are also fluent in C++. You should have experience in both the MS
Windows and Unix environments.  Requires BS or MS in computer science
and a minimum of three years full-time professional experience. We seek
people with a background in one or preferably several of the following
areas:

-- general AI 
-- knowledge-based systems
-- natural language processing
-- computer telephony and speech recognition
-- machine learning
-- intelligent agents

US citizenship is not required, but you must be a permanent resident of
the US. These positions are in San Jose, California.  Mindmaker is an
international company with offices in California, Hungary, and
Singapore.  For general background on the company, visit our web site
at  http://www.mindmaker.com

For immediate consideration, please email your resume with salary
expectations to:

Dr. Steven Vere
Chief Scientist
Mindmaker, Inc.
·····@mindmaker.com 

Our street address is:
224 Airport Pkwy., Suite 550
San Jose, California 95110
USA

From: Christopher R. Barry
Subject: Re: Seeking programmers fluent in Lisp and C++
Date: 
Message-ID: <87aeowqxkb.fsf@2xtreme.net>
····@ix.netcom.com(Dr. Steven Vere) writes:

> For general background on the company, visit our web site at
> http://www.mindmaker.com

Hmm... talking parrots, Windows, C++, Lisp; Been following Microsoft's
research and reinventing Microsoft Bob are we?

I don't share your vision of stupid "assistant-centric" computer
interfaces. Bob failed precisely because people aren't _that_ naive.

I predict future human-computer interfaces will have nothing to do
with talking parrots and paper-clips, nor pulldown File and Help menus
for that matter. Rather, with the increasing importance of computers
in our lives, learning to use a computer in the future will be like
learning to read; It will be taught to children starting at an early
age, and continually developed as they grow. It will take considerable
effort, time, and motivation on their part (as reading does), but they
will be rewarded with a very powerful skill in the end. Interfaces
will be more efficient at this time and eradicated of brain-damage;
there will be no more having to deal with fixing a Windows
installation that boots into Safe Mode by editing the registry or a
Linux kernel that hangs at boot or won't play sound because it doesn't
have the correct modules compiled in, nor anything analagous. We'll be
free to focus on solving problems and achieving goals rather than the
burdens of low-level administration and maintenance, and no task will
take more keystrokes, pointer clicks, or
speech/gesture/thought/whatever-the-heck commands than necessary.

It will _not_ have have: application-specific windows, folders,
pull-down menus, pop-up dialogue boxes, etc....

Or something like that.

Christopher
From: Dr. Steven Vere
Subject: Re: Seeking programmers fluent in Lisp and C++
Date: 
Message-ID: <7vnvs7$s29$1@nntp6.atl.mindspring.net>
In <··············@2xtreme.net> ······@2xtreme.net (Christopher R.
Barry) writes: 
>
>····@ix.netcom.com(Dr. Steven Vere) writes:
>
>> For general background on the company, visit our web site at
>> http://www.mindmaker.com
>
>Hmm... talking parrots, Windows, C++, Lisp; Been following Microsoft's
>research and reinventing Microsoft Bob are we?
>
>I don't share your vision of stupid "assistant-centric" computer
>interfaces. Bob failed precisely because people aren't _that_ naive.
>
>I predict future human-computer interfaces will have nothing to do
>with talking parrots and paper-clips, nor pulldown File and Help menus
>for that matter. Rather, with the increasing importance of computers
>in our lives, learning to use a computer in the future will be like
>learning to read; It will be taught to children starting at an early
>age, and continually developed as they grow. It will take considerable
>effort, time, and motivation on their part (as reading does), but they
>will be rewarded with a very powerful skill in the end. Interfaces
>will be more efficient at this time and eradicated of brain-damage;
>there will be no more having to deal with fixing a Windows
>installation that boots into Safe Mode by editing the registry or a
>Linux kernel that hangs at boot or won't play sound because it doesn't
>have the correct modules compiled in, nor anything analagous. We'll be
>free to focus on solving problems and achieving goals rather than the
>burdens of low-level administration and maintenance, and no task will
>take more keystrokes, pointer clicks, or
>speech/gesture/thought/whatever-the-heck commands than necessary.
>
>It will _not_ have have: application-specific windows, folders,
>pull-down menus, pop-up dialogue boxes, etc....
>
>Or something like that.
>
>Christopher

   I actually agree with a lot of your criticisms,
especially the last few sentences.  We are particularly
interested in the verbal medium for situations where
a person does not even have access to a computer screen.
For example, while commuting to work in your car you 
can't be looking at a screen and trying to click on
an OK box.  But can could talk to a computer assistant
to get information, and have that information presented
to you verbally.  I'm afraid I can't be more specific
without revealing our fantastic future plans, which
must remain a deep secret until officially announced.

Steven Vere
From: Christopher R. Barry
Subject: Re: Seeking programmers fluent in Lisp and C++
Date: 
Message-ID: <87u2n4ouof.fsf@2xtreme.net>
····@ix.netcom.com(Dr. Steven Vere) writes:

> In <··············@2xtreme.net> ······@2xtreme.net (Christopher R.
> Barry) writes: 
> >
> >····@ix.netcom.com(Dr. Steven Vere) writes:
> >
> >> For general background on the company, visit our web site at
> >> http://www.mindmaker.com
> >
> >Hmm... talking parrots, Windows, C++, Lisp; Been following Microsoft's
> >research and reinventing Microsoft Bob are we?
> >
> >I don't share your vision of stupid "assistant-centric" computer
> >interfaces. Bob failed precisely because people aren't _that_ naive.
> >
> >I predict future human-computer interfaces will have nothing to do
> >with talking parrots and paper-clips, nor pulldown File and Help menus
> >for that matter. Rather, with the increasing importance of computers
> >in our lives, learning to use a computer in the future will be like
> >learning to read; It will be taught to children starting at an early
> >age, and continually developed as they grow. It will take considerable
> >effort, time, and motivation on their part (as reading does), but they
> >will be rewarded with a very powerful skill in the end. Interfaces
> >will be more efficient at this time and eradicated of brain-damage;
> >there will be no more having to deal with fixing a Windows
> >installation that boots into Safe Mode by editing the registry or a
> >Linux kernel that hangs at boot or won't play sound because it doesn't
> >have the correct modules compiled in, nor anything analagous. We'll be
> >free to focus on solving problems and achieving goals rather than the
> >burdens of low-level administration and maintenance, and no task will
> >take more keystrokes, pointer clicks, or
> >speech/gesture/thought/whatever-the-heck commands than necessary.
> >
> >It will _not_ have have: application-specific windows, folders,
> >pull-down menus, pop-up dialogue boxes, etc....
> >
> >Or something like that.
> >
> >Christopher
> 
>    I actually agree with a lot of your criticisms,
> especially the last few sentences.  We are particularly
> interested in the verbal medium for situations where
> a person does not even have access to a computer screen.
> For example, while commuting to work in your car you 
> can't be looking at a screen and trying to click on
> an OK box.  But can could talk to a computer assistant
> to get information,

Okay, I was using "assistant" in a different sense. Parrot and
paper-clip "digital assistants" are what I was referring to when I
said "stupid assistant-centric computer interfaces". I didn't view a
computer you talk to in your car as an "assistant". I'm still not sure
that "assistant" or "computer assistant" is better than just calling
it a "computer"; the reason being that "tool" is a healthier way to
view a machine than "assistant". I wish I could properly write what it
is I am trying to express here.... (Should have taken more writing
classes in school, I guess.)

> and have that information presented to you verbally. I'm afraid I
> can't be more specific without revealing our fantastic future plans,
> which must remain a deep secret until officially announced.

Good luck with it all.

Christopher
From: ·······@xxx.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Seeking programmers fluent in Lisp and C++
Date: 
Message-ID: <lpnhfj37nrr.fsf@wayback.csc.ncsu.edu>
······@2xtreme.net (Christopher R. Barry) writes:
> I'm still not sure that "assistant" or "computer assistant" is
> better than just calling it a "computer"; the reason being that
> "tool" is a healthier way to view a machine than "assistant". I wish
> I could properly write what it is I am trying to express
> here.... (Should have taken more writing classes in school, I
> guess.)

In HCI circles, a common way of thinking about interaction with a
computer is that it can act as a tool, an assistant, or an agent.  The
analogy I give my students is to a carpentry or machine shop.  For a
given project, you can apply any of the tools that surround you, or
you can give instructions to your assistant to finish part or all of
the project (potentially giving guidance along the way), or you can
farm it out to a different shop, leaving all the details to be handled
without your knowledge.  The distinction here is the system has low,
medium, or high autonomy.  These are all valid ways of looking at
human-computer interaction, and examples of each are pretty common.
Computers-as-assistants is the hardest case.  I can't think of any
commercial system that does it well, though research prototypes are
promising.

Rob St. Amant