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Subject:Another slant on process etc. From:Sandy Harris <sandy -at- storm -dot- ca> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 11 Dec 2000 01:05:05 -0500
Another list I'm on has a lively discussion ging on about what makes a skilled hacker,
(of course in the original sense of expert programmer rather than system-breaker).
> [Those] who advocate uncompromising process-based Software Factories are in fact claiming
> to be able to implement an Artificial Intelligence ... and to be able to do it by using
> humans pushing bits of paper around as their computer.
> [They] therefore assert that hackers are `irresponsible' and discount their work,
> saying that complexity is inherently not understandable and we must develop ever
> more complex procedures to abdicate our responsibility to.
> Fortunately, many organisations' managements continue to foster reflection on grounds
> of personal intuition and empirical experience, without any justifications to place
> on action-based balance sheets. This is a difficult thing to do, but is the only reason
> anything gets done.
> It is important to recognise that mapping is not another procedural methodology to be
> applied in a packer mindset. It is a different way of looking at things altogether.
> It is necessary to convince yourself that it really is possible to take personal
> responsibility for an undertaking instead of abdicating in favour of a procedure.
Methinks they're obviously correct about programming. I'm trying to work out to
what extent this applies to documentation.
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