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From: jona@clyde.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Computer Science: where it belongs
Message-ID: <16118@clyde.ATT.COM>
Date: Tue, 3-Nov-87 07:58:14 EST
Article-I.D.: clyde.16118
Posted: Tue Nov  3 07:58:14 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Nov-87 04:34:56 EST
References: <469@ndsuvax.UUCP>
Sender: bkc@clyde.ATT.COM
Reply-To: jona@moss.UUCP (Jon M. Allingham)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
Lines: 31

In article <469@ndsuvax.UUCP> ncmagel@ndsuvax.UUCP (ken magel) writes:
>
>     Computer Science is sometimes viewed as a branch of engineering and 
>sometimes as a branch of mathematics, and sometimes as a type of science.
>Why not view computer science as a performing art such as painting or music 
>which has two main parts:  performance ( e.g., software engineering), and 
>theory ( study of the phenomena underlying software engineering - why they 
>work and how they can be improved).  Perhaps Computer Science programs should
>be placed within Collges of Art.  That would certainly assist with such issues
>as tenure, or what a B.S. student in the discipline should know.
>    For tenure, we could then have ample precedents for crediting development
>of new software ( composition).


Certainly in interesting idea, by the same reasoning you could also put it
into the department of English (or maybe foreign languages) since the
ability to write readable/understandable programs is clearly important.

This holds true for many other programs too, take architecture for
example, it is art-related but often in it's own school.
For that matter I think EE would fit into the art mold.

The interesting question is: If CS can be mapped to art than what is the
CS equivalent of a person who draws "modern" art pictures (such as a
25'x30' blue background with a red and green stripe through it)?

Jon M. Allingham	(201)386-3637	AT&T Bell Laboratories (Whippany,NJ)
{ihnp4,clyde}!moss!jona			WH 1A-114

"To those of us with real understanding, dancing is the only pure art form"
-Snoopy