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Re: Viewing packages in mathematica

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg102755] Re: Viewing packages in mathematica
  • From: AES <siegman at stanford.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2009 07:43:23 -0400 (EDT)
  • Organization: Stanford University
  • References: <200908230932.FAA02210@smc.vnet.net> <10084375.1251080623042.JavaMail.root@n11> <h6tv7b$drf$1@smc.vnet.net>
In article <h6tv7b$drf$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
 "David Park" <djmpark at comcast.net> wrote:

> 
> So that is what happens with Mathematica. One wants to work on math, or on
> some technical project, but one is always sucked down into a morass of
> undocumented features, and computer science, and guessing. One spends 95% of
> one's time working on Mathematica problems and 5% actually doing something
> interesting!
> 

My God, David!  It seems to me you have suddenly started to sound 
exactly like me, before I more or less gave up on posting on these 
issues and tried to get refocused on "actually doing something 
interesting" myself.

Let me just say again:  I believe the core lesson in this saga -- or to 
phrase it differently, the core cause of this disaster -- is the attempt 
(one might say, if one wanted to be nasty about it, the megalomaniacal 
attempt) to have one single massive app that will be all things, provide 
all tools and capabilities, to all users, rather than some kind of much 
more modular approach.

Can't be done, has never been done in this field.  Causes all kinds of 
problems, which get increasingly unsolvable as the basic system gets 
larger and expands out of control; ultimately suppresses creative 
innovation rather than enabling it.   Very sad, especially given the 
massive talent, massive accomplishments, and massive innovations that 
have now gotten so entrapped in the congealing molasses of Mathematica.
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