No, we're not lagging behind. Software engineering is VERY young - at
most, 60 years old. Civil and naval engineering are more like four
thousand years old and mechanical engineering at least two thousand years
old. It is no surprise that they have managed to iron out a great deal
more bugs in their processes than we have. [...]
This was too good an invitation to pass up, to repost one of my
favorite quotes...
>From the preface of John Scott Russell's (engineer and naval architect)
massive "The Modern System of Naval Architecture", 1865 (137 years ago)...
We the passing generation have had to grope our way
out of the dark slowly and painfully, with trial and
error. But what has to be pardoned to us can no longer
be pardoned to our successors, to whom we bequeath the
costly knowledge and painful experiences that have cost
us so dear, but which we have gladly earned, and now
painstakingly contribute for their instruction, and the
advancement of their future...
Heartening to think we may write this ourselves,
about computer and software engineering,
before too many more years have passed.
Cheers,
Mitchell Charity
(John Scott Russell, from the preface of
"The Modern System of Naval Architecture", 1865.
Quoted in Henry Petroski's "John Scott Russell",
Engineering column of American Scientist,
v86/1998Jan-Feb, p21)
Russell worked on, among other things, the
first Atlantic cable, and steam-only crossing.
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 13:51:08 +0000
From: David Cantrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Joe Johnston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Boston.pm] maintenance of large perl code bases
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
References: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; from
[EMAIL PROTECTED] on Wed, Mar 13, 2002 at 07:46:46AM -0500
X-UIDL: 5<N!!SH:!!aCF!!pDC"!
On Wed, Mar 13, 2002 at 07:46:46AM -0500, Joe Johnston wrote:
> I've been very interested in software engineering practices for a while
> now.
>
> ...
>
> Sure, programming is an art, but so is brige-building and highway
> construction. Yet, the process that creates these real-world
> constructs is very carefully controlled and monitored. Software
> Engineer is lagging behind its physical counterparts.
No, we're not lagging behind. Software engineering is VERY young - at
most, 60 years old. Civil and naval engineering are more like four
thousand years old and mechanical engineering at least two thousand years
old. It is no surprise that they have managed to iron out a great deal
more bugs in their processes than we have. And no, I don't think all our
bugs are ones which have been solved in other engineering disciplines.
--
David Cantrell | Benevolent Dictator | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david
o/~ I want my SMTP o/~
