Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!decvax!decwrl!glacier!oliveb!hplabs!hplabsc!taylor
From: taylor@hplabsc.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.comp-soc
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on recent postings...
Message-ID: <499@hplabsc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jul-86 12:48:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.499
Posted: Fri Jul 25 12:48:16 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Jul-86 03:13:00 EDT
Reply-To: hplabs!coller@utah-cs.ARPA
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories
Lines: 30
Approved: taylor@hplabs
Reference: <472@hplabsc.UUCP>

This article is from coller@utah-cs.ARPA (Lee D. Coller)
 and was received on Fri Jul 25 02:09:53 1986
 
In article <497@hplabsc.UUCP> hplabs!taylor (Dave Taylor) writes:
>...
>People are always complaining that justice isn't fair, well here's a 
>way to perhaps even it up a bit.  [Use computers]

I don't think I would want a computer making moral judgements (which is
what "justice" is really all about).  At least when a human is doing this
you know exactly whose morals you're dealing with.  If a computer is making
these judgements you are dealing with the morals of an unseen person (s) (the
programmer).  I don't think computers should ever be given equal status with
people.  Someone has to take responsibility.

Some things are better left to humans.

>On the other hand, it really leaves the possibility of tampering wide
>open. 
   ...
>Computers could be reprogrammed, or could be given a set of
>routines to determine if a name is a minority, or a certain sex, or
>whatever (in fact, they could hook into IRS or NCIC or something!)

or the Programmer's name:
(if (equal name "Lee Coller")
    (setq verdict 'innocent)
    ( ... rest of program ... ))

-Lee