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Are you really trying to argue that the majority of that which is novel is already open source, or has been discussed publicly? That's a really bold claim to ma

Are you really trying to argue that the majority of that which is novel is already open source, or has been discussed publicly? That's a really bold claim to make, and I really doubt it. NSA and DOD black projects? The majority of software products that I can think of are more advanced in proprietary form than their open source counterparts. Google's search algorithm?

dkhenry 14y ago
The NSA will have some really novel and new ting we don't know about. They might be one of a handful of places where you really do have some Silent Experts. However as to your second example google http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html This is really common I can pull you up multiple research papers from them on everything from database design to ranking alogrithems. Same thing for Facebook, Twitter, IBM, Cisco, and the numerous computer science research institutions. For the most part what you see as "Advanced" is just a better implementation of the same idea. Thats not to say that the people making the proprietary software aren't intelligent and aren't building better products because they are, but its just silly to assume that there is this world of computer engineering talent we don't hear from that's doing groundbreaking things in the shadows.
- to3m 14y ago
  I think you're taking too narrow a definition of "expert"? - or maybe my definition is too wide. I just wouldn't expect one to necessarily be pushing the boundaries of knowledge. They just need to be good at what they do.
- eliasmacpherson 14y ago
  Good point, but that's research, not general software development, which is what you were initially talking about. Software development is about implementation, and less about research. That research paper is not the entirety of what's novel about google's search algorithm. It's more silly to assume the majority of computer engineering talent get on the megaphone when they've done something novel, many of them just aren't interested. Games developers leave it a couple of years before getting public about the nitty gritty of what they did. You know already which one this is going to be :) http://xkcd.com/664/ http://xkcd.com/664/

dkhenry 14y ago

The NSA will have some really novel and new ting we don't know about. They might be one of a handful of places where you really do have some Silent Experts. However as to your second example google http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html This is really common I can pull you up multiple research papers from them on everything from database design to ranking alogrithems. Same thing for Facebook, Twitter, IBM, Cisco, and the numerous computer science research institutions. For the most part what you see as "Advanced" is just a better implementation of the same idea. Thats not to say that the people making the proprietary software aren't intelligent and aren't building better products because they are, but its just silly to assume that there is this world of computer engineering talent we don't hear from that's doing groundbreaking things in the shadows.

to3m 14y ago
I think you're taking too narrow a definition of "expert"? - or maybe my definition is too wide. I just wouldn't expect one to necessarily be pushing the boundaries of knowledge. They just need to be good at what they do.
eliasmacpherson 14y ago
Good point, but that's research, not general software development, which is what you were initially talking about. Software development is about implementation, and less about research. That research paper is not the entirety of what's novel about google's search algorithm. It's more silly to assume the majority of computer engineering talent get on the megaphone when they've done something novel, many of them just aren't interested. Games developers leave it a couple of years before getting public about the nitty gritty of what they did. You know already which one this is going to be :) http://xkcd.com/664/ http://xkcd.com/664/