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Its not cynical if you've actually had any dealings with IBM and Watson. Edit: And when the hell did cynical become a bad word in silicon valley? I've had a n

Its not cynical if you've actually had any dealings with IBM and Watson. Edit: And when the hell did cynical become a bad word in silicon valley? I've had a number of posters on here respond to things "oh, stop being cynical!" as if that was some kind of contribution... I've got a word for people who are cynical. Decent scientists. Feynman would be rolling over in his grave...

tux1968 10y ago
There's a difference between cynical and skeptical, from google: "A skeptic doesn't believe anything without strong reasons, which is why it is also associated with doubt, especially when something hasn't been experienced yet. Cynicism is believing the worst of something or someone. It has nothing to do with evidence. It is an outlook on life."
- enraged_camel 10y ago
  If cynicism is believing the worst in something or someone, then believing that this article is just PR is by definition not cynical, since it is not the worst thing one could believe.
  - tux1968 10y ago
    You're replying to the wrong post I think. I was just correcting the misuse of the word cynicism, nothing else.
- smallnamespace 10y ago
  > It has nothing to do with evidence. If you understand Bayesian reasoning, then we all have unjustifiable prior beliefs, perhaps due to innate personality, or due to our own experiences. Calling someone a cynic is often just a way to bash someone who has different priors. The better thing would be to ask where those priors come from, no? > Its not cynical if you've actually had any dealings with IBM and Watson. Maybe GP knows something you don't and he's talking from experience?
  - tux1968 10y ago
    I'm sure the GP knows many things I don't. The only point of my post was the definition of the word cynical. It's probably fair to say that skepticism is an admirable trait while cynicism isn't. Feynman was a proponent of skepticism not cynicism. The applicability of either moniker towards anyone in this debate, or any other, is up to the participants to hash out.
cscurmudgeon 10y ago
skeptical!=cyncial

tux1968 10y ago

There's a difference between cynical and skeptical, from google: "A skeptic doesn't believe anything without strong reasons, which is why it is also associated with doubt, especially when something hasn't been experienced yet. Cynicism is believing the worst of something or someone. It has nothing to do with evidence. It is an outlook on life."

enraged_camel 10y ago
If cynicism is believing the worst in something or someone, then believing that this article is just PR is by definition not cynical, since it is not the worst thing one could believe.
- tux1968 10y ago
  You're replying to the wrong post I think. I was just correcting the misuse of the word cynicism, nothing else.
smallnamespace 10y ago
> It has nothing to do with evidence. If you understand Bayesian reasoning, then we all have unjustifiable prior beliefs, perhaps due to innate personality, or due to our own experiences. Calling someone a cynic is often just a way to bash someone who has different priors. The better thing would be to ask where those priors come from, no? > Its not cynical if you've actually had any dealings with IBM and Watson. Maybe GP knows something you don't and he's talking from experience?
- tux1968 10y ago
  I'm sure the GP knows many things I don't. The only point of my post was the definition of the word cynical. It's probably fair to say that skepticism is an admirable trait while cynicism isn't. Feynman was a proponent of skepticism not cynicism. The applicability of either moniker towards anyone in this debate, or any other, is up to the participants to hash out.

cscurmudgeon 10y ago

skeptical!=cyncial