Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 11:10:45 -0800 (PST) From: Simon Shapiro <shimon@simon-shapiro.org> To: Nate Williams <nate@mt.sri.com> Cc: current@FreeBSD.ORG, "Russell L.Carter" <rcarter@consys.com> Subject: Re: gnu/usr.bin/cvs/libdiff Message-ID: <XFMail.980128111045.shimon@simon-shapiro.org> In-Reply-To: <199801281840.LAA05323@mt.sri.com>
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On 28-Jan-98 Nate Williams wrote: >> familiar to pure software engineers. As far as a product goes, >> an operating system is peanuts compared to something like >> a ship, say. Or even a car, these days. Somehow, those get >> built. > > W/out any user intevention? Amazing how it requires users to build > them, isn't it? Yes, it *could* all be automated, but the 'resources' > required to do it is greater than requiring humans doing the work. Now, > in a weird twist of fate, that is exactly the same thing I said. > > > Nate > > ps. Yes, given enough time and resources, anything can be automated. > But, the end result may be more expensive than is worthwhile. Now, I > wouldn't have any ideas on that given that I work for one of the three > largest R&D companies in the world, who come up with all sort of > wonderful (and often times quite expensive) solutions to existing and > some non-existant problems. :) I wonder if you ever observed how the computer you type on, or the car you driver to work, or the TV you watch are made. Or, how much they would cost, had they been designed and manufactured using the same techniques as WE use for software ``engineering''. I have, for the last 0.25 century. It is hardly funny :-) But your reaction is typical. This is not to belittle it, just to state that it is common, well understood and not necessarily agreed with by people who actually know the processes and methods almost as well as you do. ---------- Sincerely Yours, Simon Shapiro Shimon@Simon-Shapiro.ORG Voice: 503.799.2313
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