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Re: Are we just running in place?

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

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"RS Wood" <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote in message 
news:d9h7ivF1apvU1@mid.individual.net...
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/15/junk_your_it_now_before_it_drags_you_under/
>
> //--clip
> In practice, the growing sophistication of software has meant that while 
> computers certainly feel faster than they did thirty or forty years ago, 
> the difference - as far as our perceptions are concerned - isn’t nearly as 
> great. Files might load a thousand times faster, but we still experience a 
> perceptible interval between selecting “Open...” and being able to work on 
> a file.

Not anymore with plenty of well implemented systems.

> Thirty years ago, Ted Nelson, one of the great visionaries of computing, 
> said that our devices had to deliver a ‘bingo effect’ - as soon as you 
> reached out for a document, it should be there, ready to edit. Today we 
> open a document in Microsoft Word - even on a multi-Ghz machine with a 
> solid state disk and plenty of RAM - in a process that always takes a few 
> seconds.

Not here with the files I normally do in Word.

> And it always has.

Nope.

> Sure, it takes a few less seconds than it may have back in 1986, using 
> Microsoft Word on the first Macintosh Plus, but where’s that thousand-fold 
> improvement from Moore’s Law?

Sure. That doesn’t apply to a lot of things.

> A decade ago virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier noted the complexity of 
> software seems to outpace improvements in hardware, giving us the sense 
> that we’re running in place. Our computers, he argued, have become more 
> complex

Yes.

> and less reliable.

No. My smartphone and desktop PC are MUCH
more reliable than they ever were in the past.

> We can see the truth of this everywhere: Networked systems provide massive 
> capacities but introduce great vulnerabilities.

But those vulnerabilities aren't hard to avoid.

> Simple programs bloat with endless features. Things get worse, not better.

Plenty of things get MUCH better like being able to
tap on a phone number you see anywhere, in a browser,
in facebook etc and have it call that number.

Same with an address, just tap on it and have it navigate to there.

> Anyone who’s built a career in IT understands this technical debt. Legacy 
> systems persist for decades. Every major operating system - desktop and 
> mobile - has bugs so persistent they seem more like permanent features 
> than temporary mistakes.

Can't think of any persistent bug that causes me any problem.

> Yet we constantly build news things on top of these increasingly rickety 
> scaffolds.

I just don’t buy the claim that they are increasingly rickety.

iOS is much LESS rickety than say Win is.

> We do more,

Yes.

> so we crash more

Nope, I crash a lot less than I ever did.

> - our response to that has been to make crashes as nearly painless as 
> possible. The hard lockups and BSODs of a few years ago have morphed a 
> momentary disappearance,

And that is a very significant advance.

> as if nothing of real consequence has happened.

It hasn’t if its only momentary.

> Worse still, we seem to regard every aspect of IT with a ridiculous and 
> undeserved sense of permanence. We don’t want to throw away our old 
> computers while they still work. We don’t want to abandon our old 
> programs. Some of that is pure sentimentality - after all, why keep using 
> something that’s slow and increasingly less useful?

Plenty don’t keep stuff like that.

> More of it reflects the investment of time and attention spent learning a 
> sophisticated piece of software.

> The processes that software encapsulates will inevitably be examined, 
> improved, refined, and repackaged as other processes.

> Yet a commitment to obsolescence is the unspoken agreement for all things 
> IT. Yes, you may treasure that NetWare server with sixteen years 
> continuous uptime,

I don’t.

> but does it really have utility when everyone, everywhere can access 
> cloud-based data storage API? Embracing the new requires us to loosen our 
> grip on the old.

And plenty discard the old very readily.

> Some may well be thinking: that way lies madness. If we changed our 
> systems all the time, nothing would work. Consider: nearly every 
> organisation of any scale has legacy (but functioning) systems so old they 
> can no longer be upgraded or even maintained properly. Uptime has become a 
> god, and capacity has been sacrificed on its altar.

Not here it hasn’t.

> Another view is that the industry that creates disruption is ironically 
> terrified to disrupt itself. The biggest vendors cleverly act more as 
> psychiatrists than problem-solvers, soothing fears, reassuring IT managers 
> with gentle whispers of ‘Everything will be alright,’ as both walk a 
> garden path into irrelevance.

> Embracing change means abandoning the false sense of stability IT has 
> offered management as part of its bargain to increase productivity. 
> Productivity is not a function of stability. It’s about the wholesale 
> revision of business processes to meet or generate market needs.

And that keeps happening with everything from bill paying to
the replacement of the use of checks with electronic transactions
to tap and go cards to ApplePay and PayPal.

> Productivity demands that we junk everything comfortable, everything safe, 
> everything stable, set our faces to the wind, and explore the unknown.

And plenty of us are happy to do that.

> The IT department that fails to heed this lesson fails the business it 
> serves. A recent quip from Saul Kaplan puts it best: “Marginal cost of 
> staying the same is rising. Think of it as inflation eating away at your 
> relevancy rather than capital.”

> Hostage to forces that want to contain its disruptive nature, IT has 
> become infrastructure where it should always be a strategic asset, wielded 
> like a blade, cutting a swath through markets and competitors. How many IT 
> departments can say they are the most important element of the business? 
> Not many. That’s the sure sign that IT is itself ready to be utterly 
> disrupted.
 

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Are we just running in place? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-10-30 15:53 +0300
  Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-30 13:43 +0000
    Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-10-30 10:28 -0400
      Re: Are we just running in place? Stan Barr <plan.b@bluesomatic.org> - 2015-10-30 15:34 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place?     wje@acm.org (Bill Evans) - 2015-10-30 09:05 -0700
          Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-10-30 13:25 -0400
            Re: Are we just running in place? Bob Eager <news0005@eager.cx> - 2015-10-30 17:28 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-10-30 18:32 +0000
              Re: Are we just running in place? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2015-11-01 20:01 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-11-04 10:11 +0100
                Re: Are we just running in place? scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2015-11-04 22:29 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-11-04 16:44 -0600
                Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-11-04 23:04 -0500
                Re: Are we just running in place? Larry Sheldon <lfsheldon@gmail.com> - 2015-11-04 22:34 -0600
                Re: Are we just running in place? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-11-05 10:30 +0300
                Re: Are we just running in place? Stephen Chadfield <stephen@chadfield.com> - 2015-11-05 13:39 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? Bob Eager <news0005@eager.cx> - 2015-10-30 17:30 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Stan Barr <plan.b@bluesomatic.org> - 2015-10-31 08:05 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-11-04 10:01 +0100
      Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-30 17:34 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-10-30 13:49 -0400
          Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-30 18:23 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-10-30 18:59 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2015-11-01 01:33 -0300
            Re: Are we just running in place? Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-11-04 10:19 +0100
              Re: Are we just running in place? Bob Eager <news0005@eager.cx> - 2015-11-04 21:21 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-10-30 18:33 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2015-11-01 12:59 -0500
            Re: Are we just running in place? scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2015-11-03 17:29 +0000
              Re: Are we just running in place? fmassei@gmail.com - 2015-11-03 10:14 -0800
        Re: Are we just running in place? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2015-10-30 18:39 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-30 19:22 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? "Dirk T. Verbeek" <dverbeek@xs4all.nl> - 2015-10-30 20:27 +0100
              Re: Are we just running in place? bde@besplex.bde.org (Bruce Evans) - 2015-10-30 20:08 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? Richard Kettlewell <rjk@greenend.org.uk> - 2015-10-30 21:21 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? bde@besplex.bde.org (Bruce Evans) - 2015-10-31 04:15 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-11-02 14:19 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? bde@besplex.bde.org (Bruce Evans) - 2015-11-02 16:15 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-11-02 12:29 -0500
                Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-11-02 19:13 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? bde@besplex.bde.org (Bruce Evans) - 2015-11-02 21:25 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-11-03 14:03 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2015-10-30 21:11 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2015-11-01 01:23 -0300
      Re: Are we just running in place? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-10-30 20:05 +0000
    Re: Are we just running in place? Johnny B Good <johnny-b-good@invalid.ntlworld.com> - 2015-10-30 19:53 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2015-11-01 12:09 -0500
    Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-11-01 09:42 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-11-01 13:33 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? "Rod Speed" <rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> - 2015-11-02 12:45 +1100
          Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-02 11:06 +0100
    Re: Are we just running in place? Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@math.uni.wroc.pl> - 2015-11-03 22:06 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-03 23:43 +0100
        Re: Are we just running in place? jmfbahciv <See.above@aol.com> - 2015-11-04 13:52 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-03 23:46 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@math.uni.wroc.pl> - 2015-11-04 04:35 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-04 10:24 +0100
            Re: Are we just running in place? Ahem A Rivet's Shot <steveo@eircom.net> - 2015-11-04 09:55 +0000
              Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-04 12:42 +0100
          Re: Are we just running in place? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-04 14:57 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-11-04 11:29 -0500
            Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-11-04 16:43 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-04 17:55 +0100
              Re: Are we just running in place? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-04 18:04 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2015-11-04 18:48 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? "Osmium" <r124c4u102@comcast.net> - 2015-11-04 13:05 -0600
                Re: Are we just running in place? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-04 19:36 +0000
                Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-04 21:15 +0100
                Re: Are we just running in place? BartC <bc@freeuk.com> - 2015-11-04 21:35 +0000
            Re: Are we just running in place? Kees Nuyt <k.nuyt@nospam.demon.nl> - 2015-11-04 21:07 +0100
        Re: Are we just running in place? Richard Kettlewell <rjk@greenend.org.uk> - 2015-11-04 10:36 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-11-03 23:52 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Andrew Swallow <am.swallow@btinternet.com> - 2015-11-04 02:56 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-11-04 11:05 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Waldek Hebisch <hebisch@math.uni.wroc.pl> - 2015-11-04 03:12 +0000
          Re: Are we just running in place? Morten Reistad <first@last.name.invalid> - 2015-11-04 10:02 +0100
            Re: Are we just running in place? Andreas Eder <a_eder_muc@web.de> - 2015-11-08 11:48 +0100
        Re: Are we just running in place? Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-11-04 10:36 +0100
        Re: Are we just running in place? "John Jackson" <jj@nospam.com> - 2015-11-05 09:01 +1100
          Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-11-05 00:09 +0000
      Re: Are we just running in place? Peter Flass <peter_flass@yahoo.com> - 2015-11-04 11:03 -0500
        Re: Are we just running in place? Bob Eager <news0005@eager.cx> - 2015-11-04 21:25 +0000
        Re: Are we just running in place? Stan Barr <plan.b@bluesomatic.org> - 2015-11-05 08:01 +0000
  Re: Are we just running in place? "78lp" <78lp@nospam.com> - 2015-10-31 15:09 +1100
  Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-31 11:11 +0000
    Re: Are we just running in place? RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2015-10-31 14:57 +0300
    Re: Are we just running in place? Dan Espen <despen@verizon.net> - 2015-10-31 10:19 -0400
      Re: Are we just running in place? "gareth" <no.spam@thank.you.invalid> - 2015-10-31 16:28 +0000
    Re: Are we just running in place?     wje@acm.org (Bill Evans) - 2015-10-31 04:14 -0700

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