From: Jim Weirich <jweirich@...>
Date: 2002-05-12T04:06:09+09:00
Subject: Re: OT:is software eng an art?

>>>>> "Phil" == Phil Tomson <ptkwt@shell1.aracnet.com> writes:

    Phil> Anyway, one of the points made in the abstract at the
    Phil> website above says: "# The misguided notion that software is
    Phil> art and hence not amenable to discipline"

I would use the term "craft" rather than "art".  

I no longer use the term "engineering" when talking about software
development.  Last fall I heard Martin Fowler speak on engineering vs
agile approaches to software.  His point is that the economic and
business forces in software development are radically different than
those in most other engineering discplines.

A paper covering these ideas can be found at

    http://martinfowler.com/articles/newMethodology.html

In particular, I think you will find the "Predictive vs Adaptive"
section very appropriate.

-- 
-- Jim Weirich     jweirich@one.net    http://w3.one.net/~jweirich
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"Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, 
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