Re: Re: Viewing packages in mathematica
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg102772] Re: [mg102755] Re: Viewing packages in mathematica
- From: DrMajorBob <btreat1 at austin.rr.com>
- Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:31:46 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <200908230932.FAA02210@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: drmajorbob at yahoo.com
I like the "single app" approach just fine. I don't want to use four programs to accomplish one thing, as in the LaTex paradigm (as I understand it). If we spend 95% of our time on Mathematica and 5% on "something interesting", the 5% is a hell of a lot more interesting (and varied) than any other app (to my knowledge) can accomplish for the same effort. Bobby On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:43:23 -0500, AES <siegman at stanford.edu> wrote: > 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. > -- DrMajorBob at yahoo.com
- References:
- RE: Re: Viewing packages in mathematica
- From: "David Park" <djmpark@comcast.net>
- RE: Re: Viewing packages in mathematica