http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools "Now I feel like I know less about what that blog is about than I did before." Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:35:07 +0000 http://thetarpit.org hourly 1 http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-5105 Artificial intelligence « The Tar Pit Sun, 26 May 2024 21:33:52 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-5105 [...] being intelligent, is (gasp!) somewhat useful. It is useful first and foremost as a very imprecise tool for searching for links -- links in the more general sense of relations between words, not [...] [...] being intelligent, is (gasp!) somewhat useful. It is useful first and foremost as a very imprecise tool for searching for links -- links in the more general sense of relations between words, not [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-4155 The Lost Tools of Learning, annotated « The Tar Pit Sun, 07 May 2023 14:22:17 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-4155 [...] fact that they don't actually need computing machines for any fundamental purpose, that they are tools meant merely for the practical purpose of amplification and that whatever qualitative leap they [...] [...] fact that they don't actually need computing machines for any fundamental purpose, that they are tools meant merely for the practical purpose of amplification and that whatever qualitative leap they [...]

]]> http://thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-366 On the power of words « The Tar Pit Thu, 02 Jul 2020 12:11:06 +0000 http://wp.thetarpit.org/2016/on-the-unambiguous-usefulness-of-tools#comment-366 [...] as any other tool, hold no power by themselves. You need someone to sift through them and arrange them in the proper [...] [...] as any other tool, hold no power by themselves. You need someone to sift through them and arrange them in the proper [...]

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