From: "Hal E. Fulton" <hal9000@...>
Date: 2002-05-14T07:07:58+09:00
Subject: Re: OT:is software eng an art?

----- Original Message -----
From: <james@rubyxml.com>
To: "ruby-talk ML" <ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 4:53 PM
Subject: RE: OT:is software eng an art?


> > From: Hal E. Fulton [mailto:hal9000@hypermetrics.com]
> >
> > For that matter (much as it pains me to admit it), "computer
> > science" is not a science... it's a branch of engineering.
>
> Hmm. I was taught it was a branch of mathematics, and that hard-core
> computer scientists rarely needed an actual computer, since the proofs
> could be done with a yellow pad and a pencil.  Programming is to computer
> science what engineering is to physics.  The purity of abstractions
sullied
> by practical application :)

True, but computer science includes hardware, no? At least the way it was
taught to me. And proofs are pretty hard for real-lif problems.

I ilke the idea of CS being a branch of math, though. After all,
mathematicians
sometimes think physicists are a bunch of dimwitted hacks. Math is as close
as you can get to pure metaphysics and still be respected by the man in
the street.

> Anyway, this thread is convincing me that software development is a
> religion.

:) And on that, can we all agree?

I don't really know Perl, but can't I say something like:
   bless $you; my $son
in this case?

Or in C I might say:

  repent() || ((void) you)     /* Repent or be cast into a void  */

But now I'm being silly...

grace && peace,
Hal Fulton