OT: Crazy Programming

[Patrick]

"James J. Besemer" <jb at cascade-sys.com> wrote in message
news:mailman.1021636709.31088.python-list at python.org...
> [...]
> Laura's choice of a particularly subjective example actually underscores
> the point.  Although there is a lot of inescapable subjectivity regarding
> ranking wines, a general consensus nevertheless emerged regarding a great
> number of "measurements".

It's possible that this consensus emerges as a result of training, rather
than as a result of any quality inherent in the wine. Or, on second
thoughts, both: An aspiring wine taster learns to recognise and appreciate
the very qualities that an expert has determined to be "good". To some
extent, the choice of these qualities is arbitrary, but once they've been
adequately described and considered authoritative, they can be recognised
and, to some extent, measured. Of course that says very little about whether
the tasters are recognising "quality", rather than "a quality". The latter
seems far more likely to me (which in no way undermines the value of refined
taste).