Dear Ed and Matthew, (01)
EJB
> There is no good model for all problems. (02)
That is the understatement of the year. (03)
I would add that even for a single project -- say designing
an airplane, a house, or a computer -- there are a huge number
of problems that require different models. And those models
are *rarely, if ever* consistent with one another when you
get down to the grubby details of each. (04)
MW
> The important thing to take from this is not that it is too
> difficult, but that you need to think about how time relates
> to the requirements you are trying to meet, and make sure
> you have a model that is fit for purpose. A particularly bad
> approach is to start with a current state model and then try
> to add change, history and time later. (05)
For any particular model, that's true. But note that even for
designing a house (a typical one-family home), there are a large
number of different models. All of them have to be consistent
(to a good approximation) with the map drawn up by the surveyor
and the blueprints drawn up by the architect. (06)
But all the subcontractors come with their own models (usually
mental): plumbers, electricians, carpenters, landscapers,
excavators, etc. Try discussing identity conditions with them.
A blank stare is preferable to some remarks they might make. (07)
Now multiply those issues by thousands, if you're trying to
design a Boeing 787 or Airbus 380. It's no wonder that those
projects weren't finished on time and within budget. (08)
By the way, I attended a talk last week about data mining in
bioinformatics. The speaker said that he talked with many of
the physicians at a large, modern hospital. None of them had
heard anything about ontology or the related terms that we
kick around on this list. (09)
If they happen to choose a formally defined term from a menu,
what is the likelihood that their intended use is consistent
with the formal definition? (010)
John (011)
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