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From: msellers@mntgfx.mentor.com (Mike Sellers)
Newsgroups: news.groups,comp.cog-eng,comp.ai,sci.misc,sci.research
Subject: Re: Another vote for comp.cog-sci (was Re: time for sci.psych???)
Summary: Gene doesn't know what he's talking about (but he has a point)
Keywords: Cognitive Science newsgroup
Message-ID: <1988Jan20.195419.377@mntgfx.mentor.com>
Date: 21 Jan 88 03:54:12 GMT
References: <1416@uhccux.UUCP> <4215@utai.UUCP> <2990@arthur.cs.purdue.edu>
Organization: Mentor Graphics Corporation, Beaverton Oregon
Lines: 39

In article <2990@arthur.cs.purdue.edu>, spaf@cs.purdue.EDU (Gene Spafford) writes:
> There is already a "comp.cog-eng" for cognitive science and engineering.
> Why don't you use the groups already in existence rather than
> ask for a new one?
> 
> This is an example of why we want to limit the number of newsgroups:
> users don't realize what groups already exist when there are so many.
> -- 
> Gene Spafford

Sorry Gene, but in this case I realize quite well what groups exist that
might be a good home for cognitive science discussions.  Comp.cog-eng is
described as being the home for discussions on "cognitive engineering", 
which many people take to be the same as "human factors" or ergonomics.
This is very different from the broad-based synthetic discussions that 
tend to occur when "cognitive science" is the topic.

Comp.ai and comp.cog-eng have both been used to some degree in the past for 
cognitive science discussions.  In both cases someone almost always posts 
or e-mails a message requesting that the cognitive science folks please stop 
diluting the discussion.  Thus the call for a separate group.

I would like a newsgroup where discussions regarding cognitive science could
be fostered; using comp.cog-eng is fine with me, but other people may disagree.
In general, I think a definition of 'cognitive engineering' is drifting away
from ergnomics and toward the operational parts of cognitive science -- more
actions and less theory.  This may be a result of cognitive science enfolding
those parts of ergonomics that deal with intelligent HCI into itself; at any
rate, that's my rationale for using comp.cog-eng for this purpose.  Though
its a bit like using [mythical] comp.expert-systems for general AI discussions.

Any other votes?


-- 
Mike Sellers                ...!tektronix!sequent!mntgfx!msellers
Mentor Graphics Corp., Electronic Packaging and Analysis Division
"The goal of AI is to take the meaningful and make it meaningless."
                                  -- An AI prof, referring to LISP