[LEAPSECS] How good could civil timekeeping be?

[Rob Seaman]

>> I recommend Stewart Brand's "How Buildings Learn" for a discussion of

>> two similar design trends in architecture.  In general, software

>> architecture philosophy is rather too self-referential and could do

>> with seeking design paradigms from outside the community.

>

> Say what?  Does the name "Christopher Alexander" mean nothing to you?


And I could toss Brenda Laurel and the proscenium arch back at you  
(well, not literally, but see also http://www.literateprogramming.com).


> (You might claim that software designers misread Alexander, but then

> I point you next to Harold Bloom on strong misreading.)


Or Richard Powers' Galatea 2.2.

"Self-referential" may have been the wrong choice of words, but  
software philosophy tends to be rather self-involved and snarky.   
There's a lot of world out there that doesn't run on software.


> Or is this mere sarcasm?


Nothing "mere" about sarcasm, but no, I wasn't attempting to be  
especially ironic.  It's a gift - and a curse.

One could do worse than to aim for "simple design, intense content":

	http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-feynman-tufte-princip

Rob Seaman
NOAO