On 13 Mar 2001, at 14:33, Alan Yeo wrote:

> Your right Michael, so most of the potential productivity
> gains disappear. Guess its like processing power about as
> fast as they can increase it someone will write software to
> consume it :-)

I like to compare this obsession with form over substance to
the dichotomy inherent with computerized word processing:

On the one hand we now have the ability to trivially produce
polished documents that only a decade ago would have
required a typesetter and printing house to produce. On the
other we now customarily see managers with +100K salaries
performing what is essentially stenographic work.

In systems design I often see the same mechanic at work.
The ease of interface modification increasingly leads to
consumption of resources that are more profitably put into the
data and application design.

In both cases, appearance is purchased at the expense of
substance.

Regards,
Jim


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