[plt-scheme] Re: More pedagogic stuff

On Wednesday 13 August 2008, David Einstein wrote:
> One of the things that I see is that the probability that a
> programming effort fails is inversely proportional to its
> complexity.  Piecing together genomes from millions of DNA fragments
> succeeds, while an accounting system for LA schools fails miserably. 

You're only taking into account complexity in a very narrowly technical 
sense. That's rarerly what makes or breaks a project. Look 
at "political" complexity, too, such as number and abilities of project 
participants, funding, intrigues.

Then there a projects that are just too big to fail, or perceived that 
way at any rate. Consider: NASA has put men on the moon some 40 years 
ago, why is it taking them so incredibly long to repeat that feat? 
Wouldn't you rather expect to be able to book a weekend holiday at the 
edge of crater Tycho by this time?

Michael

-- 
Michael Schuerig
mailto:michael at schuerig.de
http://www.schuerig.de/michael/