Resumen
The computer is, at some level, just a hunk of silicon and plastic- every bit as inert as the hammer. Somewhere between the hammer and the computer lies a threshold of complexity and capacity for autonomous action that, when surpasses, tempts us to ascribe agent-like qualities such as awareness and intent. We interact with agents on a social level and increasingly so with increases in the complexity of behavior and of interaction which the agent affords. Since we cant predict or understand all of an agent's actions, should behave in various roles and contexts. These codes enable us to infer what specific behavior mean, in terms of the agent's intentions and beliefs. Not surprisingly, we have evolved a wealth of such expectations for interactions with the most complex and unpredictable agents with whom we regularly work and live - other humans. Some of these codes are quite explicit- such as the communication protocols in which pilots and air traffic controllers are trained, or the rituals of a religious service- but others subtle and largely implicit. These patterns or rules of expectation are what we call "etiquette."