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From: g-rh@cca.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Role of computer science (was !Tom)
Message-ID: <10202@cca.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Sep-86 02:08:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: cca.10202
Posted: Tue Sep 23 02:08:58 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Sep-86 21:01:17 EDT
References: <699@sdcc12.UUCP>
Reply-To: g-rh@cca.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge
Lines: 41

Tom Keller writes:
>
>    ....  I have merely pointed out that
>    the training needed to be a good programmer is *NOT* the same as the
>    training needed to be a (good) Computer Scientist.  You can rant and
>    rave all you like about people without formal training who have developed
>    good software, or succeeded in the commercial software market, it doesn't
>    change my point at all.  Without the theoretical foundations laid by
>    Computer Scientists (and their associates, mathematicians and EEs) the
>    "programmers" wouldn't have anything to work with.  It remains the
>    theoreticians who lead the way in the development of new computing
>    technology and methodology.
>
	Er, ah, I hate to break it to you, but this simply isn't so.
Programming very much came first; the early programmers developed the
principles of programming pretty much ad hoc.  The theoretical foundations
were developed after the fact.  It would be much more accurate to say that
the theoreticians *are becoming* the leaders in the development of new
computing technology and methodology.

	This is the normal situation with technology and science.
Until World War II science had surprisingly little impact on technology
(with the exception of Chemistry).  The reason is fairly straightforward;
in its earlier stages technology depends on rough and ready constructs
and a lot of empirical knowledge.  The corresponding science is inadequate
because not enough is known about the processes involved to provide
theoretical explanations of the phenomena.

	In the case of programming, the significant developments all
preceded the rise of computer science, which was very much an after
the fact occurence [and is still somewhat mired in the identity search
syndrome.]  Concepts (and implementation) of ideas such as databases,
operating systems, higher order languages, and data structures were
brought into being by programmers.  It should be noted, however, that
the early programmers were not "graduates of programming schools";
they had highly varying backgrounds with a predominence of Mathematics
and Engineering.
-- 

Richard Harter, SMDS Inc. [Disclaimers not permitted by company policy.]
	For Cheryl :-)