Re: Language Oriented Programming

Thomas,

> The next paradigm in programming should be modeled after how humans deal
> with procedure and exceptions, and learn from it.

Definitely a profound idea. I'm far from sure that we're anywhere near
ready for that - we're encumbered by ideas about cognition and computing
that make it difficult to even think of stating the problem that way.

> Our company is experiencing a growth spurt and investors are
> requiring written policies and procedures. We were amazed at
> how many "procedures" were being performed informally. How
> did we know how to do that?

I'd suggest asking another question - *why* were you so surprised ? What
were you expecting ? :)

> The lesson to get from this is HUMANS are incredibly flexible and
> adaptable, and can respond in real-time to change.

Not just humans - so do many other systems geared to survival, or at
least stability. Stable systems show equifinality - they get to the same
end state irrespective of starting conditions (or perturbations) within
some range of tolerance. Species in an ecosystem are intricately
interdependent, but most ecosystems can afford to lose one species.

The software systems we're able to design also show interdependence, but
when one module fails (even a small one) typically the whole thing
fails. The famous Ariane crash is a good example of this fragility; the
bug that was the ultimate cause of the crash had caused a fault that was
entirely irrelevant, at the time it occurred, to keeping the rocket in
the air. A more proximate cause of the crash was that the system
interpreted an error message as if it had been a command to the
boosters.

Think about it. That's a bit like a car driver hearing someone sneeze...
But rather than disregard the "utterance" as irrelevant, the driver is
compelled to assing meaning to it. Arbitrarily, the driver decides it
means "turn right all the way". As errors go, it's totally bizarre. And
yet so many systems "designed" under the prevailing assumptions as to
what constitutes "design" exhibit this kind of behaviour, this mix of
awesome intelligence and utter stupidity. (I'm reminded of the quality
Doug Hofstadter calls "Sphexishness".)

Laurent
http://bossavit.com/thoughts/
.

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