From: "Hal E. Fulton" <hal9000@...>
Date: 2002-05-14T05:08:02+09:00
Subject: Re: OT:is software eng an art?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dossy" <dossy@panoptic.com>
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 2:34 PM
Subject: Re: OT:is software eng an art?


> If it were art, it'd be called "software artistry" not "software
> engineering."  Q.E.D.  ;-)

<sarcasm mode="friendly">
Oh, yes. As we all know, things are ALWAYS called by
acccurate and meaningful names.  :)
</sarcasm>

For that matter (much as it pains me to admit it), "computer
science" is not a science... it's a branch of engineering. (I
hate to admit it because I started out in physics, the purest
science of all, and we always thought that engineers were a
bunch of dimwitted hacks who wanted to memorize formulae
instead of understanding principles).

And let's not even discuss the many shades of pseudoscience
such as psychology, sociology, library science, parapsychology,
economics, and voodoo.

As an aside: Much of what has been said about "art" in this 
thread I don't consider really true. Some of it is a reflection of
twentieth century thought which is sometimes a little out in 
left field. For example, I don't agree that art doesn't require
discipline. I don't agree that it is always subjective and amenable
to multiple interpretations. And I don't agree with the artist who
once said, "Isn't the purpose of art to shock people?" Pish and tush!
The purpose is creativity, beauty, and truth (any of which may
sometimes be shocking, of course).

Cheers,
Hal