[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] Re: Why is it important to distinguish between an extensibleve
Roger L. Costello wrote: > The ability of a system to dynamically adapt and evolve to support > capabilities that were never imagined by the system designers ... ah, now > that's what I want out of a system! > Ah, so it's adaptation you had in mind? This brings the matter closer to biological evolution, and farther from the various metaphorical extensions (sorry!) of the word. This brings up two threads in my mind - 1) Adaptation to *what*? In the biological world, "what" is primarily the local environment, which includes other species. What is a system supposed adapt to in Roger's scenarios (which we don't know yet)? 2) *Who* or *what* is supposed to do the adapting? Software developers or the software systems themselves? Dollars to doughnuts, Roger is interested in an interacting society of autonymous agents, and is thinking about the agents changing their behavior during the course of their existence, or perhaps over a series of instantiations. Right, Roger? I think it is time for Roger to (re)read Isaac Asimov's various stories that involve his three laws of robotics! Cheers, Tom P
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