[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [zigzag] :zz: Childhood infls. on ZZ?
- To: "zigzag@xxxxxxxxxx" <zigzag@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Subject: Re: [zigzag] :zz: Childhood infls. on ZZ?
- From: Peter Barus <ViPr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 03:35:58 -0400
- Reply-to: zigzag@xxxxxxxxxx
- Sender: Peter Barus <ViPr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Ted,
>> ...the game of "Qubic"... Heinlein's "And he Built a Crooked House"...
<<
I remember those.
>> And I have been deeply annoyed by all the
exception-ridden junk I have to memorize in
the computer world. ZZ is an attempt to build
a completely principled world without exceptions--
but Spatial, rather than based on string management
and hierarchy (like today's computer languages). <<
I'm still trying to get my head around this one. Does life imitate art, or
which? It seems as if either one must rule out exceptions arbitrarily, or
start accommodating them somewhere. Given Barus' First Axiom, "Invention is
the Mother of Necessity" (thank you), a.k.a. the "Why Does A Dog
Principle", when something becomes possible, it becomes necessary. If you
can't predict what will become possible, how are you gonna avoid exception
handlers?
This is just a question, I'm not all that fond of exceptions. Somewhere
there may have to be a compromise, between the comprehensiveness of the
system and it's commitment to the H. of S. M., what? The same sort of
compromise I think Mathematics has to make somewhere? Teach me. Is this the
domain of Philosophy in which we try to see some sort of order in
"reality"? Or can we get away with it because we never have to get anywhere
near reality?
I'm building applications (sorry, I have to call them that) in world that's
crazy about "rules". The buzzword is "mass customization". "Where is the
RuleBase?" they ask. In my stuff, maybe they're just built-in. But the
sales people think it's a new gimmick. If this keeps up, I'll just go back
to boat-building. I've yet to make one of those things from scratch and see
it float, but at least if it has a handle, you can pull it and something
real happens.
In my work, I have to accommodate the "afterthought". People will come up
with these, no matter what, so I write reams of code for dealing with this.
But this is database management. Afterthoughts are finite in this world.
Not to mention Beforethoughts.
As I understand (not quite) Zz, maybe a completely principled world will
become possible, and hence necessary... I mean, if you pull this off, it's
going to affect Things Generally, neh?
I know! You can make a Cell, and call it the "Yeah, but..." Cell...
>> I take this as a license to reminisce more
on such matters whenever the fit overcomes me... <<
You won't get no arguments from me, I take all the licenses I can find...
Peter "Forgive me. It's late" Barus