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From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Defining "software"
Message-ID: <1097@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Sep-84 13:01:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: eosp1.1097
Posted: Thu Sep  6 13:01:45 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 16-Sep-84 12:11:41 EDT
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton, NJ
Lines: 36

References:

Here's a try at defining "software".  First it's necessary to define
something else, which I will call a "stored program":

Stored Program: A set of information that, when interpreted by a machine
in its intended fashion, will lead the machine through a sequence
of its possible tasks, in an order which may be dependent upon data
in the stored program and otherwise entered into the machine.

Software: A stored program that can be easily modified or replaced
under control of software, by electronic means only.

The phrase "electronic means" is somewhat nebulous, but is meant
to exclude mechanically replacing ROMS, or irradiating chips with
ultraviolet light to deprogram them.

I'm sure you have all noted the tendnecy to refer to digital recordings
a "software", which is a terrible use of the term, since what is on
these recordings is surely data rather than a stored program, and
is firm rather than soft.  Which leads to the next problem -- how is
"data" different from  a stroed program?

Data: A set of information that, when interpreted by a machine
in its intended fashion, will function as independent and dependent
variables from which:
	- additional data can be calculated, and
	- decisions can be made concerning which portions of
	  stored programs to execute next.

- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
allegra!eosp1!robison
decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison
lead the machine through a sequence
of its possible tasks, in an order which may be dependent upon data
in the stored program and otherwise entered into the machine.