[OT] Why software ends up complex

[Robert M. Münch]

On 14 Dec 2020 at 16:21:59 CET, "Kagamin" <spam at here.lot> wrote:

> https://alexgaynor.net/2020/nov/30/why-software-ends-up-complex/

I don't want to be too picky but there is a very important difference between
complexity and complication.

You can't reduce complexity. If you need a switch with two positions, you have
complexity 2, with three positions 3, etc. You can't get rid of it.

But there are simple 2 way switches and complicated. The end result (leaving
other aspects aside) is exactly the same.

Most software is way too complicated for the complexity it handles. A very
useful complication KPI for GUI applications is "clicks to result". When you
start counting these... you will see how bad a lot of GUI software is.

IMO to handle complexity in a simple way the gap between "possible" and "just
works" is key. The biggest value forms the closer you get to the „just works“
state. I would even bet, it’s exponential. 

That's a key success factor for all "infrastructure level" technology, where I
count D in.

-- 
Robert M. Münch
http://www.saphirion.com
smarter | better | faster