From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!wupost!psuvax1!news.cc.swarthmore.edu!plummer Mon Aug 24 15:40:59 EDT 1992
Article 6633 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: plummer@cs.swarthmore.edu (David Barker-Plummer)
Subject: Re: Turing Test Myths
In-Reply-To: bill@nsma.arizona.edu's message of 18 Aug 92 07:10:50 GMT
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Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 14:26:41 GMT

In article <BILL.92Aug18001050@ca3.nsma.arizona.edu> bill@nsma.arizona.edu (Bill Skaggs) writes:

BS> markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder) writes:

BS> > > For a male imitating a female, I would begin by asking for an
BS> > > explanation of the system of women's clothing sizes.  (Junior, Misses,
BS> > > etc.)  Then I would ask for an explanation of "her" philosophy for
BS> > > using makeup.  And so on.
BS> >
BS> > Would *you* be able to detect "wrong" answers to these questions?  
BS> > If so, then you know enough about women to pass your own test.
BS> > If not, then males could certainly imitate women well enough to
BS> > pass the test with you.

BS> Not so.  It is often possible to detect a lie (because of internal
BS> inconsistency) without knowing the truth.

BS> Anyway, try to imagine how *you* (a man) would respond if asked
BS> questions like these.  I know that *I* would be completely befuddled,
BS> and anybody with any sense would quickly realize that I didn't know
BS> what I was talking about.

But, with respect, you are missing an important point.  Turing
explicitly allows that the questions need not be answered.  In the
paper (which I don't have to hand right now, so this is from memory)
an example dialogue fragment has 
Questioner: "Please write me a sonnet on the subject of...", 
Respondent: "Count me out on this one, I never was much good at poetry"

In answer to your proposed questions, I suggest:

"I don't know, I can never find clothes to fit." and "I don't have a
philosophy, I never have time in the morning.  It just goes where it
goes."

-- Dave


