Subject: Re: Would you install IE 4.0 for them?
Thu Aug 20 16:36:28 1998



> I don't equate understanding how to install a software program with
> understanding how to install a new transmission. The analogy fails.
> 
> I would say that writing a software program would be the equivalent of
> the transmission work or engine work or brake work.


i'm afraid i have to disagree on this score.   writing a new piece of
software is a design problem.   for a major piece of software, that
problem is easily as large as the problem of designing a new vehicle
model.

transmission and brake work involve putting known pieces into a
configuration which is known to be stable, replacing parts if necessary.
that's a diagnostic issue, and can require a great deal of knowledge, but
it's still not a design issue.   a mechanic can refer to the Chilton's
manual to find out how many foot-pounds of torque to use when bolting a
transmission housing into place.. he doesn't have to work it out for
himself, or worry about all the testing & ceritification issues
associated with making such a choice.

installing a new piece of software is also a configuration and
diagnostic process.   all the pieces have already been designed, tested,
and documented.   you have access to documentation which includes a
procedure for installing and configuring the program on a system which
is 'standard' within nominal tolerances.   if something goes wrong, the
documentation (ideally) includes diagnostic information which will help
you isolate and remedy the problem.

in both cases, the better you understand the theory by which the system
works, and the more familiar you are with the configuration of the
specific system you're working on, the better your chances of doing the
job right the first time.   in neither case do you have the option of 
making radical changes to the design if you don't like the way it works.


all in all, i'd say installing a new piece of software is very much like
doing a transmission job.   the main difference is that you don't have to
try installing the same transmission, brakes, and plugs in both a Ferrari 
Diablo and a Yugo.



> I am talking just about driving a car. How to start it, turn the lights
> on.


this is user-level knowledge.   a person can drive a car quite
successfully without ever knowing the basic principles of the internal
combustion engine, or how the labyrinth in an automatic transmission
works.   that knowledge is essential for anyone who wants to do their
own vehicle maintenance or upgrades, though.   by the same token, a
person can be an expert mechanic without knowing statics, dynamics or
materials science.   but that knowledge is essential for anyone who
wants to design a new vehicle from scratch.

user-level knowledge for computers is "how to launch FrontPage and open
a new document".   that can be done quite successfully by someone who
has little or no understanding of the Windows Registry or DLLs.   that
latter knowledge is essential for anyone who wants to cope with a piece of
Microsoft leverage-ware that mangles both, though.   by the same token,
a person can know how to rewrite the entire registry by hand and still
not know principles of encapsulation or how to use hungarian notation
for variable names.   both of those are essential for even the most
menial code drudge at Microsoft.