Re: Multiplicity, Change and MV

From: Bob Badour <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:29:23 GMT
Message-ID: <ncw1g.62491$VV4.1168191@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>

x wrote:

> "Bob Badour" <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:zeb1g.61877$VV4.1154887_at_ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca...
>

>>x wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I don't see how but I think is this imprecision what allows for the
>>>expressiveness of human languages.
>>
>>EWD addressed this very issue more than 21 years ago:
>>
>>http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/EWD/transcriptions/EWD08xx/EWD898.html

>
>
> Thank you for the link. Have you received my e-mails you requested ?
>
>

>>"The major attraction of the modern elixirs is that they relieve their
>>consumers from the obligation of being precise by presenting an
>>interface too fuzzy to be precise in: by suppressing the symptoms of
>>impotence they create an illusion of power."

>
>

>>In his essay, he refers to "modern elixirs" as languages purported to
>>obviate the need for programmers -- a claim I have heard many times by
>>Pickies.

>
>

>>Pickies are universally intoxicated by the illusion of power to which
>>Dijkstra refers.

>
>
> e-lix-ir (i lik'suhr) n.
> 2. Also called <elix'ir of life'.> an
> alchemic preparation formerly believed
> capable of prolonging life indefinitely.
>
> I would not see how having more power will make them less programmers :-)

Having an illusion of power and having power are two very different things.

Ironically, we discovered out to transmute elements without a Philosopher's Stone, and I expect within a few decades we will learn how to make do without an Elixir of Life too.

Yes, I received your emails. I gave them a quick once-over, and I had some trouble figuring out who was saying what. Right now, I am more than a little pressed for time, but I will get back to them later. Received on Wed Apr 19 2006 - 14:29:23 CDT