I call this the 'doghouse' theory -- building software should be simple, like building a doghouse, if we could just get our act together.
The big difference is that construction projects are tangible, you can walk up to the doghouse and see with your own eyes how it was built. When a change is suggested it's obvious to everyone what the impact is.
Software is abstract. There may be some screens and output, but the internals can only be understood conceptually (and only relatively few people can do this).
That's why software is much more difficult to execute, even though from a project manager's point of view the plan may look similar.
I agree, same with my 1994-issued US passport. I wonder how many of the more excitable posters on this topic actually have a passport and use it regularly for international travel.
Seems to me the proposal is to take the personal information that is already in the passport and store it electronically so it can be read faster and more accurately when you're at the immigration counter. Don't see how it could be used to track me domestically since I toss it in a drawer when I get home.
I bet paranoia on this issue is inversely correlated to the amount of time you've spent in line waiting to go through customs -- (less travel -> more paranoia)
As a long time reader of The Economist, I think they're finally starting to get that software is different than any other kind of product.
Non-technical people tend to think software is simple, like a doghouse, you can walk around it and look at it.
Taken as a whole, it's more like the body of medical knowledge, or the legal corpus. I find it impossible to believe that 50 or 100 years from now we'll still be paying license fees for a basic OS and basic applications like word processing and database.
Looked at from the other side, many or most of us humans will often make decisions based on our own self-interest. It's a strong instinct, like sex. It's not going to be replaced anytime soon by some cosmic communitarianism.
One of the revelations of the 60s, for those of us who were around then, was that individuals who passionately espoused the "overthrow of the establishment" would cheerfully screw a friend if it brought them some personal advantage.
Obviously greed is the cause of many problems, among the whole universe of problems that plague the world. But it's not going away anytime soon, and, IMO, the regulated free-market capitalism of the developed countries does a pretty good job of channeling it into constructive uses.
I can't believe all the 'slave' references from people who should know better. Think a 'slave' could write software as effectively as someone who's enthusiastic?
Corporations are continually looking for ways to incent employees to make them happier because it makes them more productive. Punishment and compulsion are useless in a knowledge economy. However much you may hate corporations, it's in their interest to have happy employees.
there's no doubt that technology makes our lives more complicated, and so more stressful
some, like Ted K., idealize the simple pastoral lifestyle -- in his case, even advocating a revolution to return mankind to that state.
But, given the choice, I think any pastoralist would switch places with us in a minute. Forget beer and TV (reasons enough)... one good toothache would convince anyone beyond argument.
So technology does make our lives more stressful, but also much more interesting and comfortable (and longer)
I think I would actually prefer a man made diamond, in places like Sierra Leone and Congo diamond mining is the cause huge amounts of criminal violence and suffering.
You're trying to fight gravity. As long as we all live on the same planet, there is no stable equilibrium in which highly-paid Americans can keep jobs away from low-paid Indians with equivalent skills. You can't build walls high enough, even if it was morally acceptable to keep India poor. We need to look forward, not back.
by paying me to reveal my location and accept a certain number of ads and I might consider it. How about $50/month, for, say, Visa, who has a pretty good idea where I am from my charges anyway?
Globalisation is a fact that won't go away, as long as we're all on the same planet.
What do you expect 1 billion Indians and 1.3 billion Chinese to do, go back to subsistence agriculture so we can live large?
To say they're being exploited is to twist the perspective, if they're happy to get the work at a wage that increases their standard of living. An offer that's freely made, freely accepted, and that both parties believe is to their benefit.
I believe that for India and China to grow and prosper is a huge benefit for the whole world. I don't support barriers to keep that from happening.
The thing that gets me --
According to the World Bank, 35% of the population of India subsists on $1 a day or less.
That's 350 million people.
80% subsist on $2 a day or less (800 million people).
That's real poverty.
How can I begrudge them a tech job? Particularly if they do it well.
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The big difference is that construction projects are tangible, you can walk up to the doghouse and see with your own eyes how it was built. When a change is suggested it's obvious to everyone what the impact is.
Software is abstract. There may be some screens and output, but the internals can only be understood conceptually (and only relatively few people can do this).
That's why software is much more difficult to execute, even though from a project manager's point of view the plan may look similar.
IT decision makers can be persuaded to wait for Microsoft's solution rather than 'taking a chance' with another OS.
Seems to me the proposal is to take the personal information that is already in the passport and store it electronically so it can be read faster and more accurately when you're at the immigration counter. Don't see how it could be used to track me domestically since I toss it in a drawer when I get home.
I bet paranoia on this issue is inversely correlated to the amount of time you've spent in line waiting to go through customs -- (less travel -> more paranoia)
Non-technical people tend to think software is simple, like a doghouse, you can walk around it and look at it.
Taken as a whole, it's more like the body of medical knowledge, or the legal corpus. I find it impossible to believe that 50 or 100 years from now we'll still be paying license fees for a basic OS and basic applications like word processing and database.
Looked at from the other side, many or most of us humans will often make decisions based on our own self-interest. It's a strong instinct, like sex. It's not going to be replaced anytime soon by some cosmic communitarianism.
One of the revelations of the 60s, for those of us who were around then, was that individuals who passionately espoused the "overthrow of the establishment" would cheerfully screw a friend if it brought them some personal advantage.
Obviously greed is the cause of many problems, among the whole universe of problems that plague the world. But it's not going away anytime soon, and, IMO, the regulated free-market capitalism of the developed countries does a pretty good job of channeling it into constructive uses.
those of us in the rich world may be burdened by the choices available to us, but I'd rather be here than there
Corporations are continually looking for ways to incent employees to make them happier because it makes them more productive. Punishment and compulsion are useless in a knowledge economy. However much you may hate corporations, it's in their interest to have happy employees.
Imagine that a slave could write software at the same level as someone who's engaged and enthusiastic?
In fact, every corporation is looking for ways to incent employees positively. Punishment and compulsion are useless in a knowledge economy.
some, like Ted K., idealize the simple pastoral lifestyle -- in his case, even advocating a revolution to return mankind to that state.
But, given the choice, I think any pastoralist would switch places with us in a minute. Forget beer and TV (reasons enough) ... one good toothache would convince anyone beyond argument.
So technology does make our lives more stressful, but also much more interesting and comfortable (and longer)
I think I would actually prefer a man made diamond, in places like Sierra Leone and Congo diamond mining is the cause huge amounts of criminal violence and suffering.
That's a good reason to support outsourcing software to India. Lower programming costs = more hours spent coding and testing = more reliable software.
You're trying to fight gravity. As long as we all live on the same planet, there is no stable equilibrium in which highly-paid Americans can keep jobs away from low-paid Indians with equivalent skills. You can't build walls high enough, even if it was morally acceptable to keep India poor. We need to look forward, not back.
by paying me to reveal my location and accept a certain number of ads and I might consider it. How about $50/month, for, say, Visa, who has a pretty good idea where I am from my charges anyway?
Globalisation is a fact that won't go away, as long as we're all on the same planet.
What do you expect 1 billion Indians and 1.3 billion Chinese to do, go back to subsistence agriculture so we can live large?
To say they're being exploited is to twist the perspective, if they're happy to get the work at a wage that increases their standard of living. An offer that's freely made, freely accepted, and that both parties believe is to their benefit.
I believe that for India and China to grow and prosper is a huge benefit for the whole world. I don't support barriers to keep that from happening.
The thing that gets me -- According to the World Bank, 35% of the population of India subsists on $1 a day or less. That's 350 million people. 80% subsist on $2 a day or less (800 million people). That's real poverty. How can I begrudge them a tech job? Particularly if they do it well.