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>> Democracies appear to function a fair amount better than dictatorships, afterall. Define "better". Maybe on average for everyone, but is this what software
by nogabebop23 6y ago
>> Democracies appear to function a fair amount better than dictatorships, afterall.
Define "better". Maybe on average for everyone, but is this what software should do? The idea of "conceptual integrity" actually seems to match up better with a dictatorship, and most software targets relatively small and homogenous user sets, so maybe the mental model should be "tightly bound tribe".
- Siira 6y agoIt's mostly irrelevant anyways; The biggest inefficiency of dictatorships is that there are actual dictators that can eat a nation's riches. I don't quite see that parallel in design space.
- dynamite-ready 6y agoThe parallel is quite simply a monopoly on ideas and the resources for implementing them. Usually, when someone wants to introduce a new idea, there's a burden of proof regarding feasibility. For technical projects the ability of the engineer to prove or disprove an idea is taken for granted, and gives technical staff a degree of inscrutability which can often look dictatorial ("There's no way that will work!", etc). So while it's not as vital as the effect of a 'real' political dictatorship, the implied dynamic is similar.