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- Path: gaia.ns.utk.edu!mbk
- From: mbk@caffeine.engr.utk.edu (Matt Kennel)
- Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.object,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.java
- Subject: Re: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Wicked ...
- Followup-To: comp.lang.smalltalk,comp.object,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.java
- Date: 8 Apr 1996 19:33:53 GMT
- Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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- Larry Baker (leb@sdt.com) wrote:
- : Matt Kennel wrote:
- : > I'm distirbed by the notion that the "human" reasons are considered
- : > aesthetic and unquantifiable. They are not quantified or rationalized now
- : > because there is little scientific progress in this area, but there
- : > should be.
-
- : Human reasons - like asthetic appeal - are inherently subjective. It is
- : very difficult to universally quantify subjective values. How good is
- : good? How much better was Vincent Van Gough than Picasso?
-
- I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the prevalent *assumption*
- that all subjective human factors for programming languages are as
- unstudiable and unquantifable as the distinction between artists and
- the beauty of mathematics.
-
- By contrast I suggest real scientific empirical study of human factors
- starting with the methods of experimental psychology.
-
- Do not judge computer language as only mathematics {where internal
- consistency, logic, 'depth', and aesthetic judgement rule} but also as
- a tool used by homo sapiens animals.
-
- Besides, I prefer Michelangelo and Caravaggio to them both. ;-)
-
- : Larry Baker
- : leb@sdt.com
-