more on Robot race ends without a winner -- one small step

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 11:36:50 -0500
From: Mike O'Dell <mo () ccr org>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Robot race ends without a winner (for IP if you wish)
To: dave () farber net

The Grand Challenge itself was the winner when
over a dozen credible players showed up.

The Register's treatment was particularly annoying
because of the way it implied that because nobody
finished the whole idea was stupid.

The truly Stupid Idea would be to just give up
and go home.  If that attitude had prevailed in
any one of a dozen sectors, The Register would
be publishing on stone tablets and their readers
would be no more disbursed than one guy could
drag said table in a couple of days.

JFK's Moon Landing speech said it eloquently:

        "We chose to do these things not because
        they are easy, but because they are hard."

If anything, the remarkable ease with which humans
best massive technology at this mundane task should
be comfort for some just as it is motivation for others.

This particular Grand Challenge is an incredibly cool
version of "Science Fair" for grown-up geeks and I think
Paul Saffo is exactly right - DARPA will have to put up
fences to keep people from trying this again and again.

Brilliant program management on their part.

Show 'em the bait then they fight to get into the boat.

Bloody brilliant.

        -mo

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