🚀 go-pugleaf

baragry@latcs1.lat.OZ.AU (Jason M Baragry) wrote:
> Are there any other differences / similarities between SE and traditional
> engineering disciplines that people can think of ? 

There's one small difference, a small matter apparently so minor that it
is never ever mentioned in posts such as yours, in OO training classes, or
in the SE literature in general. 

You can make *money* by selling EE components. That is, it is clear what
it means to own, to buy, and to sell tangible goods; goods that cannot be copied
in nanoseconds and copied at light-speed around the globe. Thus specialization
of labor works robustly to minimize complexity by encapsulating it inside 
each others' products. Reuse works because it is driven by commercial
self-interest.

Doesn't anyone else agree that this difference is not as unimportant as all
of SE tends to treat it?

See "What if there *is* a silver bullet...and the competition gets it first?";
Journal of OO Programming; June 1992 and Dr. Dobbs' Journal; October 1992.
-- 

    Brad Cox bradcox@sitevax.gmu.edu 703 993 1142 work 703 968 8229 home
    Program on Social and Organizational Learning; George Mason University