Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Features command for arch

[Jim Lynch]

On Thu, 2 Sep 2004 20:21:37 -0400
address@hidden (James Blackwell) wrote:

> Tom wrote:
> > If there's no One True Answer for the structure of feature names then,
> > in some sense, it's an arbitrary choice.
> >
> > Since it is an arbitrary choice, it should be reserved until it can be
> > made in such a way that the choice is a maximally happy coincidence
> > (i.e., interacts nicely, by (deliberate) "coincidence" with other
> > features or contextual constraints).   
> >
> > That's all of design in a two paragraph nutshell.
> 
> Ignoring a number of good solutions in hopes that an ideal solution
> will come to light isn't good design; its paralysis

I don't see where a particular solution would be ignored. I don't
believe Tom meant "ignore" (that's your word); I'm pretty sure he meant
"delay for awhile, then start deciding". What he's possibly trying to
avoid is addonitis. You don't ignore the ideas, you save them until you
have some choices.

Implementing the first good thing you see immediately and then (say)
releasing it without due consideration of other possibilities and other
considerations (like how said "good thing" interacts with other parts of
whole project) isn't a fix for paralysis, it's the recipe of "one step
forward, two steps back while we rethink and debug how the motion of the
forward step incorrectly interacts with the shoes and the walking
surface".

> James Blackwell

-Jim

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