[LINK] Identity theft virus infects 10,000 computers

[Rick Welykochy]

--- Craig Sanders <cas at taz.net.au> wrote:

> On Thu, Aug 17, 2006 at 06:37:23PM +1000, Karl Auer wrote:

> > No, it's nt even slightly disturbing. It means that half the population
> > is less intelligent than average; the other half is more intelligent
> > than averae. That's what "average" means...
> 
> what's seriously disturbing about it is that about half the population
> is actually quite stupid.  THAT is what is scary.  an IQ of 100 isnt
> particularly bright, and 80 is classified as moron.

The estimation of IQ is a highly subjective and society-specific quantification
of intelligence.

The "IQ" we are talking about isn't actually culled from one specific IQ test. 
It is culled from many. The tests are Western-oriented and they test things like
verbal, numeric, visio-spatial and pattern matching ability, because the
sociologists and psychologists who designed the tests think that those things
are good indicators of itelligence. In our society.

It is a big leap of faith in these test to generalise the results to the
entire planet. An aborigine living in the bush or someone raised in Burma
would likely fair very poorly on these IQ tests. The same person raised in
our spic 'n' span white western society would *very* likely fair much better.

You say "80 is classed as a moron". I think that is a trite and uninformed
statement that shows no understanding of how human intelligence works
and the many ways it can be estimated and also the many ways it is actually
manifested in a particular environment or living circumstance. Your own
intelligence when tested in the milieu of an Amazonian tribe or perhaps when
trying to eek out a  living in the Arctic would be sorely tested, and you
yourself would be classified as a "moron" in those circumstances.

Craig, you really do seem obsessed with "stupid people". You bring them
up all the time. It's as if you see stupid people everywhere ;) I know
there are a lot of intellectually lazy people in our society who barely
warrant the species name of "Homo Sapiens". So what? These people consume
products (including shoddy software) and live amongst us. We work with them,
we even put up with them in our families. If you can't handle that you may
have to consider moving to the planet Cerebrum or something. Or else live
with it like the rest of us "intelligent" people do.

cheers
rickw



		
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