Kenneth wrote:

> It's unfortunate, though, that large corporations in the modern world don't have
> MORE Babbage types working for them (with the freedom to keep pushing for
> changes and improvements); it sure would eliminate lots of bad products from
> entering the marketplace--cars, software, etc.  Taking the time to actually get
> it 'right' in the first place seems to be a lost philosophy, among many
> companies...whether due to economic constraints or whatever. Something Babbage
> apparently didn't have to worry about.

It's the Microsoft philosophy: Why bother designing a superior product 
when you can just eliminate all the competing ones?

> Of course, Babbage types need *some* constraints, imposed from
> outside--otherwise, we'd *never* get anything done. It's a tricky trade-off.

Hell, Babbage successfully designed the world's first Turing-complete 
computer - but it was several hundred years late to the market. (!!)

Talk about Analysis Paralysis...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

Post a reply to this message