Programmers and the "Big Picture"?

FirmWarez asks: "I'm an embedded systems engineer. I've designed and programmed industrial, medical, consumer, and aerospace gear. I was engineering manager at a contract design house for a while. The recent thread regarding the probable encryption box of the Columbia brought to mind a long standing question. Do Slashdot readers think that the theories used to teach (and learn) programming lead to programmers that tend to approach problems with a 'black box', or 'virtual machine' mentality without considering the entire system? That, in and of itself, would explain a lot of security issues, as well as things as simple as user interface nightmares. Comments?"

"Back working on my undergrad (computer engineering) I remember getting frustrated at the comp-sci profs that insisted machines were simply 'black boxes' and the underlying hardware need not be a concern of the programmer.

Of course in embedded systems that's not the case. When developing code for a medical device, you've got to understand how the hardware responds to a software crash, etc. A number of Slashdot readers dogmatically responded with "security through obscurity" quotes about the shuttle's missing secret box. While that may have some validity, it does not respect the needs of the entire system, in this case the difficulty of maintaining keys and equipment across a huge network of military equipment, personnel, installations."

Comments

Linux?

[Amsterdam Vallon]

The "Big Picture".

It's Linux, plain && simpal.

Re:Linux?

[govtcheez]

I hate you and I hope you eventually look like the goatse man.

fairly possible

[Anonymous Coward 1]

it's been time for a paradigm shift for years now.

GET SOME PRIORITIES!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

The most horrible space tragedy in recorded history occured one week ago, and all you people can do is talk about whether programmers get the "big picture"? My *god*, folks, get some priorities here!

Re:GET SOME PRIORITIES!!!

[j3110]

The population of the US is: 265,283,783
According to the dissaster center, 180.2 people die in 100,000 in car accidents.

Is not the other 478,401 people that die in vehicular accidents in a year a bit more important than 7 astronauts in the past decade?

You should work on your priorities first because I don't think you are seeing the big picture!

(all numbers based on 1996 data)

Linux?

[Amsterdam Vallon]

You know what guys, I do a lot of thinking about the "big picture" and "whole scheme of things" often at my day job as executive IT manager for a large warehouse distribution systems center in north Jersey.

What I've found is a move, a paradigm shift per se, toward a more distributed and less technological reliance upon a single entity, such as Microsoft.

The answer for the future is Linux. Why would we line the pockets of MS's corporate bottom dollar when we could simply utilize the foundation of Linux upon traditional X-86 hardware components like soundcards and high-speed motherboards?

I think that with all the amazing examples of Linux powering powerful business to business and Web portal shopping sites, it'd be a simple tale to examinne Linux in the ``real" corporate enviorment as opposed to the very theoritecial and academic feel to the current manual page.

As long as you know the GPL (unlike Castle.co.uk) your all set for succeeding in business without even really trying.

Adivce -- avoid proprietary software like the plaque.

Re:You, sir, are an asshat

[Anonymous Coward]

I h4v3 w4r3z3d A55h4t L1nuX V8.1

I teh l33tX0r!

what a fantastic idea!

[SweetAndSourJesus]

I think I'm going to roll up Asshat Linux 0.1 today. It will be the exact same thing as gentoo, but the fortune database will be nothing but slashdot posts and RMS quotes.

Correction

[H.G. Pennypacker]

Dear Sir,

I am afraid to inform you that you are mistaken if not in your logic, but in your assumptions. Look at the crowd you are dealing with. Most Slashdotters have no experience with any "box", let alone black box, asian box, girl-next-door box, etc. They do not have the capacity to code for that situation! If one should ever be within any tangible measure of acquiring some box, they would probably have to be defibrillated first, and THEN acquire this 'experience' that you (crudely) refer to.

Remember the two key features of the demographic here :

• basement dwellers
• virgins

Hope that helps! HAND.