OT: Crazy Programming

[Greg Ewing]

jmdeschamps wrote:
> 
> But programming is not building bridges or buildings; in its very
> essence, its the realm of whatever is within the outer limits of human
> creativity, whatever that is!

Indeed. I don't think the problem is a lack of engineering
principles, it's that we're pushing the boundaries all the
time.

If buildings were built like computer programs, every
building would be unique, not quite like any other
building ever built before, and using experimental
new materials and building techniques. And before
we'd got all the bugs out of one building, we'd be
charging ahead with the next one. Under those
conditions, I don't think the building industry would
have much of a reputation for reliability in their
products!

When we *do* settle down to work on something
properly, we seem to do a pretty good job --
unix, gcc, etc...

-- 
Greg Ewing, Computer Science Dept, University of Canterbury,	  
Christchurch, New Zealand
To get my email address, please visit my web page:	  
http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/~greg