tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18525373.post115487289815769746..comments2023-08-25T01:40:02.131+10:00Comments on Evolution: Laws of software systems...Rajesh Vasahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311715567919671158noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18525373.post-1155280869772597502006-08-11T17:21:00.000+10:002006-08-11T17:21:00.000+10:00law #1: I believe that initially any system is bou...law #1: I believe that initially any system is bound to be and required to be noticed by the sheer fact of its novelty and driven by the real need to be learned.<BR/><BR/>a DVD player (system) would be noticed and acknowledged if it was introduced in cloistered societies, say amongst Amish communes. a wife (system) is similarly noticed initially but constant familiarity diminishes their visibility. so noticeability of a s/w system might be indicative of the stage it is at in its life cycle rather than of problems with it. <BR/><BR/>But your law statement already has a catch-all for such arguments as you have very thoughtfully included the word *probably* in there.<BR/><BR/>law #3: I will say that software and their functions don't exist in a vacuum but but co-exist with external processess, regulations etc. to shape the overall pain or pleasure proposition.<BR/>Example: the password policy implemented via software forces users to change their passwords every so often. this function neither reduces pain nor increases pleasure because it is a necessary evil. systems that implement such necessary evils eventually spoil the end user experience.<BR/><BR/>law #6: you can add another reason to why software stops evolving. the software projects funding dries up;-) the dotcom bust couple of years back is a testament to this reason. this re-inforces to me one very important point which has been overlooked because of its simplicity. a software system is just another *product* like a gazillion other products and its life is dictated by market forces in equal measure to other drivers of its existence/evolution.<BR/><BR/>law #10: limitations also arise from human proclivity to create everything in anthropomorphic terms in addition to the reasons you have adduced. inheritance, separation of concerns etc. in software world have their roots in the collective experience of human beings with their existence and societies. but when i think about it all these experiences create impressions on the mind thus limiting it. so what I have said here doesn't diverge from your statements.<BR/><BR/>your post made an excellent read!PerihelionFluxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13997883489619815113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18525373.post-1155244727813534072006-08-11T07:18:00.000+10:002006-08-11T07:18:00.000+10:00Can we get some clarification on the wording of la...Can we get some clarification on the wording of law #4?<BR/><BR/>Appart from that one typo, I love it all. Some of these laws require a bit of thought, but others are the sort of thing that hits you in the face and you wonder why you never thought of it before.<BR/><BR/>In particular, I'd like to comment on law #3. There is an old design philosophy from long before software was around that simply says "form follows function". You need to know how something is going to be used and design it to fulfill it's purpose. Aesthetic design follows naturals from this, but shouldn't *drive* the proccess. I suppose system design goes the same way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18525373.post-1155101893915547342006-08-09T15:38:00.000+10:002006-08-09T15:38:00.000+10:00I agree with #9 that scalability allows new proper...I agree with #9 that scalability allows new properties to emerge. That's the reason why many software systems are depending on XML for defining settings or configuration b/c it allows users to easily accomodate their specifications in the software.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18525373.post-1154939338835832202006-08-07T18:28:00.000+10:002006-08-07T18:28:00.000+10:00I like #5, it's something I haven't really thought...I like #5, it's something I haven't really thought about before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com