General talk about software patterns

[Dan Palanza <dan AT capecod.net>]

Hi Mike,

> http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1143845

I vote that the whole thing is a colossal crock.

I found this statement both enlightening and amusing:
"'In 20 years time perhaps all computer systems will be
built on a theory that is understood. We are trying to establish these
theories.' "

First it admits to not understanding the present computer systems.
That's a nice start. But "theory" implies a mathematical
solution. Is there a single new "theory" that mathematics has
added in the past 40 years for the benefit of understanding computing? It
seems to me that if progress toward understanding computer systems will
be made in the next twenty years that progress will begin when a
community of users gets their fossilized mathematical reasoning about
"theories" out of the way. The computer is a social science
problem. Social science must deal with decision control. What
mathematical theorem will withstand the need for a proof that tests for
how you or I will decide to behave tomorrow? Or, for that matter, to test
for what laws you or I might decide to enforce on other people's
behavior?

Dan