RE: [xml-dev] Don't Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You

[Mike Champion <mc@xegesis.org>]

9/16/2002 2:45:41 PM, "Alastair Dallas" <adallas@infospect.com> wrote:

> The genesis of "Design Patterns"
>(Gamma, Helm, et al) is a book called "A Pattern Language" (Alexander, et
>al), a mainstay of a good building architect's philosophy, IMHO. Most
>clients do not want fashion and the glory of innovation; they want
>comfortable, accessible solutions. There are new patterns, new idioms, to be
>discovered, certainly. 

Rumor has it that Alexander gets much more respect from computer nerds
than from architects.  Any truth to that?

>But deviating from what is known to work should be
>clearly labeled as an experiment so that clients (and users) know that they
>are in test mode. Not all architects share this belief.

That is the essence of a long-running xml-dev argument.  It's not always
clear which "standards" (especially in the XML arena) arise from best
practices in the field, and which arise from the best guesses of experts
in conference rooms.  Not all XML geeks share the belief that the
distinction is significant.

Anyway, thanks!  It's good to hear from "real" architects when
we start pontificating about Architecture!