Re: A silly analogy

Walter Mitty wrote:

>
> "Roy Hann" <specially_at_processed.almost.meat> wrote in message
> news:edidneCEcJAHcoLXnZ2dnUVZ8uydnZ2d_at_pipex.net...
>>A thread called "ID field as logical address" has just started. I have
>> an unpleasant feeling that it is going to lead to a lot of squabbling
>> over how doing a silly thing is silly, and little else. I don't want to
>> get involved in it. However I do want to share a couple of examples
>> which illustrate why I instinctively prefer to avoid synthetic IDs
>> whenever it is advantageous to do so.
>>
>> Imagine you are a cook working for an agency and you get sent to
>> diffferent kitchens every day. On the first day you are presented with
>> this recipe:
>>
>> Take 1 cup of whatever you find on the top shelf in the third cannister
>> from the right, and add 1 cup of whatever is in the first bottle on the
>> bottom shelf in the fridge, and mix in a pinch of the stuff in the bag
>> on the floor to the left of the fire exit.
>>
>> The next day, you are told:
>>
>> Take 1 cup of whatever you find in the container labelled 23, and add 1
>> cup of whatever is in the container labelled 1, and mix in a pinch of
>> the stuff from the container labelled 1057.
>>
>> And on the third day you are told:
>>
>> Take 1 cup of white flour, and add 1 cup of water, and mix in a pinch
>> of yeast.
>>
>> Which of these has the least scope for going wrong before you even start
>> cooking? Which of these allows you to understand what you
>> are doing? Which of these allows the kitchen to be reorganized, or
>> completely demolished and rebuilt elsewhere without any changes? Which
>> of these is universally comprehensible?

>
> What is white flour? What is yeast?

I said you have to imagine you are a cook (a domain expert for whom these symbols have meaning).

> It's possible that my post is the start of a silly thread.

I didn't say your thread was silly; I said I was afraid it would lead to a lot of squabbling about doing silly things.

> I'll try to keep that from happening.

Good luck with that. :-)

> In the meantime, what qre you going to do to keep this
> analogy from becoming the start of a silly thread?

Nothing; it started silly, hence the subject heading.

-- 
Roy