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IT and programming are still very new disciplines. We are still trying to jump around the landmines we have buried 50 years ago, because no one thought that for

IT and programming are still very new disciplines. We are still trying to jump around the landmines we have buried 50 years ago, because no one thought that for example computers would be used for secure things. Those cathedrals were built after centuries of research and practice, continuously trying out what works and what not. In software development we are still trying to figure out how to write a CRUD app that doesn't implode in the most entertaining ways. This question could be answerable after a big paradigm shift in the industry, which would eliminate most of today's software and infrastructure, and would bring something that's actually reliable (and stays reliable for more than 2 weeks).

p-e-w 3y ago
> In software development we are still trying to figure out how to write a CRUD app that doesn't implode in the most entertaining ways. What utter nonsense. Shame on you for shitting on what I do. > Those cathedrals were built after centuries of research and practice, continuously trying out what works and what not. And they were built so poorly that most great cathedrals are constantly being repaired. If you visit the Cologne Cathedral at a random time, there's maybe a one-in-ten chance that you see it without a scaffold. Just in case you actually believe the ridiculous idea (implied by the above comment) that pre-scientific craftsmen magically built better stuff than modern software engineers. God I despise the self-loathing of this industry.
gabesullice 3y ago
I think this misses the spirit of the question. One could argue the space station is far more impressive than a grand cathedral. Our engineering disciplines are far, far more advanced. Many cathedrals are sublime nonetheless. In fact, maybe even because they were built at a time so much more primitive than the present. So, what's the best digital monument we could build, given the present knowledge and practices of our best practitioners?

p-e-w 3y ago

> In software development we are still trying to figure out how to write a CRUD app that doesn't implode in the most entertaining ways. What utter nonsense. Shame on you for shitting on what I do. > Those cathedrals were built after centuries of research and practice, continuously trying out what works and what not. And they were built so poorly that most great cathedrals are constantly being repaired. If you visit the Cologne Cathedral at a random time, there's maybe a one-in-ten chance that you see it without a scaffold. Just in case you actually believe the ridiculous idea (implied by the above comment) that pre-scientific craftsmen magically built better stuff than modern software engineers. God I despise the self-loathing of this industry.

gabesullice 3y ago

I think this misses the spirit of the question. One could argue the space station is far more impressive than a grand cathedral. Our engineering disciplines are far, far more advanced. Many cathedrals are sublime nonetheless. In fact, maybe even because they were built at a time so much more primitive than the present. So, what's the best digital monument we could build, given the present knowledge and practices of our best practitioners?