Re: citations of nature

"Adrian Kubala" <adrian_at_sixfingeredman.net> wrote in message news:slrnbvmagm.b6u.adrian_at_sixfingeredman.net...
> Dawn M. Wolthuis <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com> schrieb:
> > I suspect that most definitions of "database" leave out the user,
> > however, one can certainly tighten the definition to indicate that
> > someone or something must take an action to store and retrieve the
> > data. I prefer the definition without an actor outside of the
> > "machine". (Does the car have an engine even if no one starts or
> > stops it?)
>
> A better analogy is, is an engine an engine if it's not in a car? (Like
> maybe it's part of some abstract art.)

Do you mean like the engine in my boat or the engine pulling a train? Yes, these are engines even without the car. Received on Thu Jan 08 2004 - 04:54:00 CET