Re: What databases have taught me

From: Dan <guntermann_at_verizon.net>
Date: 27 Jun 2006 17:44:55 -0700
Message-ID: <1151455495.761903.191350_at_d56g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>


Pickie wrote:
> Dan wrote:
> ><SNIP> ... Babbage, Turing, Shannon, and many
> > others did just fine. I now see the problems they solved, resolved in
> > the worst possible ways with the state of the art tools and
> > computational models. <SNIP>
>
> OK, I'll bite. What exactly can I learn (or re-learn) from Babbage?
> What exactly does "doing just fine" mean with regard to Babbage when he
> signally failed to build either one of his machines?
>
> Or is this just a variation of the lament for the lost *Truely*
> Relational DBMS?

Hey pickie,

To your question, "what can I learn from..?", perhaps my statement was overly general, but I was trying to convey my appreciation for those that could describe a problem and solution using english and formalisms to solve problems, even without the benefit of tools and technology. I don't want to go on a rant here though. It is merely my own opinion and therefore subjective.

In regards to Babbage's failures, I was under the impression his plans and specifications resulted in a perfectly functioning difference engine in the late 1900's, but that funding and such proved the barrier to him succeeding in his time. He still visualized a mechanical computer for solving problems without the benefit of having a computer or programming language and it had remarkable similarity of architecture to computers of our time.

In regards to your last point. No. I am not one of those that does such lamenting.

  • Dan
Received on Wed Jun 28 2006 - 02:44:55 CEST

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