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From: ted@nmsu.edu (Ted Dunning)
Newsgroups: comp.sw.components
Subject: Re: Software engineering
Message-ID: 
Date: 1 Oct 89 05:49:02 GMT
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In-reply-to: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu's message of 29 Sep 89 20:19:55 GMT


In article <6638@hubcap.clemson.edu> billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe, 2847 ) writes:

   From ted@nmsu.edu (Ted Dunning):
   > [playing as a means of "education"] > i would hope that the
   `software engineering philosophy' does not > preclude
   self-education.

      Of course not.  The point is that engineering and "playing" are
      two entirely different processes.  To learn about a new tool,
      one first studies the tool's capabilities and then uses the tool
      in some engineering endeavor (or, alternatively, a formal
      training exercise which someone has designed).  A tool is not,
      and should not be viewed as, an entertainment mechanism.

engineering and playing are indeed two different processes, but
education and play need not be.  of course, there is ample cause for
bill's confusion, collin's dictionary of common english lists 54
separate senses of the word play.  as usual, bill takes as appropriate
only the first, to amuse oneself as a child does.

consider though the sense used in the phrase sword-play.  what is the
purpose of this activity but to sharpen one's skills with instruments
of distinctly un-toylike nature.  this is much more in keeping with
the sense that i had in mind.

essentially undirected exercise in the use of a new tool is a valuable
part of the learning process.  it is important to get hands on
experience before you commit yourself to the use of a such a tool in a
possibly critical application.

      The engineer's psychic rewards come from having engineered a
      superb product, on time and under budget.  These are tied to the
      objectives, and not to the means of getting there.

hmmmm.... and i had hoped that a more integrated viewpoint was
beginning to make itself felt in engineering; a viewpoint in which
words like beauty and elegance were allowed to have meaning and
recognized to be relevant to the entire design process.  certainly we
cannot in good conscience sentence engineers to a lifetime of no
reward except the service and satisfaction of other peoples
requirements.  rather we should allow that there are distinct
satisfactions in creation and superb execution separate and apart
completing a project.

please, bill, can't we just attribute your comments to rhetorical
excess?
--
ted@nmsu.edu
			remember, when extensions and subsets are outlawed,
			only outlaws will have extensions or subsets