John Williams wrote: > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 9:04 AM, Claes Wallin > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> I am not sure how many on the list are interested in software >> development methodology, but isn't he missing the chance here to invoke >> "extreme architecture"? > > Arnold Kling has some background in software, and he usually reads and > responds to comments on his blog. You could post your observation as a > comment on his blog...maybe he will have a response.
Aha, that's interesting. Maybe I will do that. >> I believe a "safety-net of circuit breakers" >> _can_ be designed in an iterative way, learning from mistakes, adapting >> to new problems, while still maintaining a well-designed whole. I have >> to admit that I haven't seen anybody trying. > > I'm not sure I see what you are getting at. Are you talking about an > expert system or neural net sort of thing? But they tend to be rather > chaotic, not "well-designed whole". How would a designed system learn > from mistakes? Well, an expert system with actual humans being the experts. And by the "well-designed whole" i was referring not to the meta-system but to the actual system, the regulations. Patchwork regulation is typical in our political system, but a system with some continuity, and I'm afraid this is starting to sound like enlightened despotism, could see to the framework as a whole and refactor old legislation to fit with the new. >> His "3. Housecleaning" meme seems to be heading in this direction, but >> he doesn't seem to acknowledge that it is actually an iterative, >> feedback-oriented version of "2. Architecture": > > One of the commenters on his blog (Rubber Rebel or something like > that) makes a similar point. It almost seems like you and Arnold are > converging on a system where you have two competing groups, the > regulation makers and the regulation destroyers, one group making new > regulations, and the other group removing all regulations that have > unintended consequences. Is that what you meant by an iterative > system? No, I meant one group of people, the "architects", doing those things. But making it two different groups is an interesting idea. /c _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
