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RE: The Airplane Example (was Re: Streaming XML)

• To: 'Karl Waclawek' <karl@w...>, XML Developers List <xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: RE: The Airplane Example (was Re: Streaming XML)
• From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <len.bullard@i...>
• Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 12:34:52 -0600

How many functions does your vintage watch support?

My wife tries to buy me gifts that I ask for. 
I asked for a watch and she bought me a virtual 
computer to wear on the arm.  It lasted less 
than two years.  I told her, "No a watch.  It 
has two hands with a second sweep and no, it 
doesn't have to tell me day and month."  She 
bought me a Timex.  It's still on my arm ticking 
a decade later.

I asked for a pocket knife.  She bought me 
a knife with every kind of blade, screwdrivers and even pliers. 
It is sitting at home in a toolbox.  My brother bought 
me a two blade Case.  It's in my pocket.  Stays sharp.

The optimum design in an network that includes the 
customer as a node is a tool that does precisely 
the job, and no more.  That is a critical lesson 
an engineer or salesman has to learn.  The problem 
then is the consultant selling ideas by the pound.

Utility services over bundles of functions.  QWERTY 
beats Dvorak because most people don't type a hundred 
words a minute even if they do drive SUVs to the corner 
drug store.

len


From: Karl Waclawek [mailto:karl@w...]

Benjamin Franz wrote:
 
> The difference is only about 1 order of magnitude in my experience. Not 
> enough to call it a qualitative difference.

I am not really taking part in this thread, but here is some
real life experience that shows it can also be the other way around:

My father was a watchmaker, so I learned to like mechanical
watches. I am currently wearing a watch built in 1965. The last
time I had it serviced was 1993. I have never seen an electronic
watch (LED or LCD display, no moving parts) that has lasted
even half as long.

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  • Re: The Airplane Example (was Re: Streaming XML)
    • From: Bill de hÓra <bill.dehora@p...>
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    • From: Karl Waclawek <karl@w...>

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