Re: Rules Engines - Best Practices?

From: Edward G. Nilges (spinoza1111_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 12/06/04 

Date: 5 Dec 2004 21:12:37 -0800

cindi@chiltown.com (Cindi Jenkins) wrote in message news:<6dddb280.0412030749.20e5d810@posting.google.com>...
> Gregory Toomey <nospam@bigpond.com> wrote in message news:<317pooF37qd0aU1@individual.net>...
> > Cindi Jenkins wrote:
> >
> > > Anyone know of best practices for rules engines. The only thing I
> > > could find was at:
> > > http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/eai/leadership/archives/002172.asp
> >
> > RESE and predicate logic in the link points to artificial intelligence.
> > This is a HUGE subject area so I dont know why you cant find much.
> >
> > Do a search for deductive databases or expert systems.
> >
> > gtoomey
>
> I guess I was looking for something more distilled and understandable
> by corporate types....

I understand this concern. Deductive data bases, Prolog, etc. is too
much to master for the CEO.

Nonetheless, we're in a new era in which Sarbanes-Oxley (a recent law
passed after the Enron and Arthur Anderson debacles) means that CEOs
and CFOs must know enough to be able to sign off on financial
disclosures...based on business rules.

The era in which the CEO could be exclusively concerned with stocking
the wine cabinet on his private jet is over...and even in the Fat
years, most CEOs were far more hands on than Ken Lay and other
principals of Enron who did not acquaint themselves with the actual
business rules in effect at Enron.

Competent and ethical CEOs regularly understand vast and complex
issues so it is a bit of a puzzle why "deductive data bases, etc." are
rocket science to the suits.

The problem is that the specific "motleys" (to use an old Bell
Northern Research term for the nonsuits) who work with the advanced
technology are pure theorists and our society divorces theory and
practice.

My experience runs against the grain. It is that the motleys should
implement the theory in such a localized fashion that they themselves
form the missing link.

This doesn't work, however, in companies where disrespect and mistrust
of "mere coders" and other working people reigns.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Rules Engines - Best Practices?
    ... Deductive data bases, Prolog, etc. is too ... passed after the Enron and Arthur Anderson debacles) means that CEOs ...
    (comp.lang.java.programmer)
  • Re: Rules Engines - Best Practices?
    ... Deductive data bases, Prolog, etc. is too ... passed after the Enron and Arthur Anderson debacles) means that CEOs ...
    (comp.programming)