From: theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk   
      
   Wolfgang Agnes  wrote:   
   > Same here.  I view the situation as a major sign of failure.  It seems   
   > the whole world is on the same boat, though.  I don't know of any   
   > company that has not bought into all this nonsense---they may exist (and   
   > I hope they do), but surely I don't know the routine of every company   
   > out there.  ``Software engineering'' in the universities are also going   
   > in the same direction.  In fact, one thing I observe in the universities   
   > is that the academics in ``software engineering'' are actually the   
   > manager-types who are not (at the same time) programmers, which is a   
   > terrible sign.  I hope I'm not offending anyone, but it's really how I   
   > think.   
      
   Academics (as in the people called 'Professor') are actually doing day to   
   day management of X number of students/postdocs/etc, as well as writing   
   grants, writing papers, teaching, admin, etc.  Which doesn't leave a lot of   
   time for programming.  It's the students/postdocs/etc who are actually doing   
   the programming, so the professor is at best at one remove.  They may have   
   been programmers in the recent/distant past, but eventually all that extra   
   stuff crowds out the programming.   
      
   > We also live a certain overconfidence in science.  There are very few   
   > scientists doing relevant work, but there's a widespread belief that   
   > science (and technology) will always solve everything---it's always just   
   > a matter of time; someone will figure it out.  Ask people and you will   
   > see---almost nobody understands anything about quantum computing or   
   > artificial intelligence, but nearly everyone thinks that it's a matter   
   > of a short time and all the quantum computing will be here for the next   
   > revolution.  And I need say nothing about artificial intelligence   
   > because everyone is well-aware about the all the hype.   
      
   I think that's 'tech', not 'science'.  'Science' is the study of the world -   
   I don't think we're overconfident about gravity, but techbros may be   
   overconfident about quantum computing.  They certainly are about AI.   
      
   > On the other hand, though, I totally understand the fears: academics are   
   > fearful of not having anything to say and managers either invent   
   > something whatever or they have a nervous breakdown out of fear of   
   > losing their jobs.  And some really do.  They have a deep sense of   
   > incapacity: it seems they never find a way to put their lives to good   
   > use.  It's a very sorry situation.   
      
   I think it's the problem a lot of organisations have that once you get   
   into the higher tiers you get further away from actually doing stuff, and   
   perhaps lose touch with how it is done.   
      
   Theo   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)