Re: Low-level vs. High-level programming (was My First Computer)

["Kevin Lawton" <kepla@btinternet.com>]

 < snip >

| When he was a young officer moving up through the ranks of the Roman
| army, Julius Caesar wrote, "When I begin a new command, I reorganize.
| It makes it look like I am knowledgeable and decisive. I find it is
| more important to look competent than to be competent."

JC:  Et tu Brutus ?
B :   Yeah, me too, gov <stab>
JC:  Do I still look competent ?
B :  Well, your latin leaves a bit to be desired but you'd make a great
blood donor !  <stab>

| This is the secret of the pointy-haired boss. He doesn't have to
| understand anything about the technology he is managing -- in fact, it
| is *better* if he doesn't understand it. It is easy to make decisions
| and act competent when you aren't burdened by having all the facts.

I've always felt the best bosses are those which do understand the processes
and tasks undertaking by their workforce. The more facts they are 'burdened'
with (provided they are relevent facts) the better chance they have of
making the best decisions, I think.

| However, management by little Caesars and armies of pointy-haired
| bosses only works when your competitors are ALSO over-run with little
| Caesars and pointy-haired bosses. All it takes is a few truly
| competent, creative, and knowledgeable individuals to put them out of
| business.

Given that there's plenty of crative, competent or knowledgable individuals
around then why do the pointy-haired Caesars still exist ?

| The whole microcomputer revolution was started by people who did NOT
| work in the computer establishment. They started with a blank sheet,
| and re-invented the computer from scratch. And changed the world!

So what can those of us here, who are part of the computer establishment,
hope to acheive now ?

| So, maybe it's time to do it again. Start designing the NEXT computer
| revolution!

Given the wide spread of computer literacy, there is probably no-one left
who is sufficiently unqualified to start that revolution !   So what should
we re-invent ?