Gotta love Linus, he knows how to get the blood boiling. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg Woodhouse Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 5:15 PM To: Hardhats Subject: [Hardhats-members] Linus Torvalds on specifications
>From today's ACM Tech News (note that I do not necessarily agree): "Linus Torvalds Outburst Sparks Fierce Debate: Does Open Source Software Need Specs?" SYS-CON (10/03/05) In a recent posting on the Linux Kernel Mailing List, Linus Torvalds blasted specs as a method for developing software, claiming they pay more attention to theory than reality and introduce a needless level of abstraction that often falls flat when put into practice. Torvalds cited the OSI network model protocols, which he characterized as "classic spec-design, which had absolutely zero relevance for the real world." He admitted that specs could serve as a useful framework for discussion, but that they should have no bearing on the actual design. Feedback to Torvalds' posting was varied, as some immediately took him to task, insisting that specs, like actual code, were by definition approximations, while others supported his view that their use is limited. One respondent noted that many original Unix specs were quite good, while later standards such as HTML and SOAP were well-written, but ultimately functioned poorly due to sloppy designs. One post criticized Torvalds for being too narrow in his definition, claiming that his view of a spec as an unchanging template incapable of adapting throughout the development process is not held by anyone in the industry. Another reader claimed specs are essential to commercial projects, as they serve essentially as a contract, defining the scope and function of a given body of code. By way of mediation, one respondent sought to clarify Torvalds' position by arguing against the misconception that programs can be written through the progressive revision of specifications, when really specs are useful insofar as they can guide a discussion, but must yield to technical requirements as the development process unfolds. <http://fr.sys-con.com/read/136960.htm> === Gregory Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "Without the requirement of mathematical aesthetics a great many discoveries would not have been made." -- Albert Einstein ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, discussions, and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, discussions, and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
