Re: The wisdom of the object mentors (Was: Searching OO Associations with RDBMS Persistence Models)

From: Robert Martin <unclebob_at_objectmentor.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 07:41:48 -0500
Message-ID: <2006060207414850073-unclebob_at_objectmentorcom>


On 2006-05-31 11:41:54 -0500, Bob Badour <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca> said:

> Robert Martin wrote:
>> On 2006-05-30 07:51:15 -0500, "CMCC" <c_jackal_at_hotmail.com> said:
>> 

>>> Robert Martin wrote:
>>>
>>>> No, a DBMS is a bucket of bits with some low level rules to manage
>>>> those bits.  An OO application provides the beavior that the customer
>>>> wants to see.  We can completely eliminate the DBMS and replace it with
>>>> another of an entirely different form (non Relational for example) and
>>>> still have all the business behavior we need.
>>>> The people who sell databases have sold you, and the industry, a
>>>> misconception: that the database is the heart of the system.  This is
>>>> flawed.  The heart of the system is the application code.  The database
>>>> is a detail to be decided at the last possible moment and kept in a
>>>> position so flexible that it can be swapped out for another at a whim.

>>>
>>> No, a OO application is a bucket of bits with some low level rules to
>>> manage
>>> those bits. An DBMS provides the beavior that the customer
>>> wants to see. We can completely eliminate the OO application and
>>> replace it with
>>> another of an entirely different form (non OO for example) and
>>> still have all the business behavior we need.
>>>
>>> The people who sell OO applications have sold you, and the industry, a
>>> misconception: that the OO application is the heart of the system.
>>> This is
>>> flawed. The heart of the system is the DBMS. The OO application
>>> is a detail to be decided at the last possible moment and kept in a
>>> position so flexible that it can be swapped out for another at a whim.
>> 
>> Let this be a lesson to all you cowards who resort to ad-hominem 
>> attacks and name calling.
> 
> Ad-hominem attacks like calling someone a coward? Idiot.

Yes, the use of the term "coward" was pejorative and probably less then professional. Frankly I was pissed off, though I think I had cause. The level of derision to an honest post was just so shrill. In any case it IS cowardly to fall back on claims of ignorance and stupidity rather than use reasoned arguments. It's a way to feel superior without having to do any of the work. It takes courage to actually make and defend an argument.

Finally, you will note that I have responded with arguments and discussion to everyone who has offered the same to me; even those who have also flamed me. You will also note that I have not dismissed anyone's argument with an ad-hominem attack on the argument. The only ad-hominem I used was the term "coward" and that was not used as a way to discredit anyone's position on the issues. It was used as a way to discredit their position on ME.

> <<ad-hominems elided... Still waiting for reasoned arguments>>

Is it that hard to accept that I might have a reasoned and valid position; and that the problem we are having is communication rather than intelligence?

-- 
Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob)  | email: unclebob_at_objectmentor.com
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Received on Fri Jun 02 2006 - 14:41:48 CEST

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