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From: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe, 2847 )
Newsgroups: comp.sw.components
Subject: Re: Software engineering
Message-ID: <6638@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 29 Sep 89 20:19:55 GMT
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Sender: news@hubcap.clemson.edu
Reply-To: billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu
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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.  

   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.


   Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu