> The comparison to the complex numbers is unfair the analogy probably only goes so far but it is meant to suggest that there might be a entire class of useful

> The comparison to the complex numbers is unfair the analogy probably only goes so far but it is meant to suggest that there might be a entire class of useful things that are not yet developed because the machinery for doing so is not fully developed / understood. > A lot of us have tried very hard to design software this way and afterwards had to admit it did not work I can only respect that. But I think we can also take a step back and look at all these web applications that do work (in a certain context) and ask whether they can withstand and evolve to cope with the information explosion that only gets worse. Evolvability, making use of linked data, composing useful things from diverse sources etc. These are not pipedreams or academic pursuits. Having designs that will help build tools adapted to this reality could unlock enormous potential.