Jan
30
Posted under
A Geek Dad's Life,
Blog Posts Whether they realize it or not, people who argue against complexity are actually arguing against the use of untested/unreliable systems. When someone says “keep it simple,” they mean “re-use stuff we already have and know that works, keep it stable, and get it done sooner.”
The computer was not born from the need to type inter-office memos. The calculator was not born from the question “what is 2 + 2.” Yet, I have heard people use these examples when they argue against complexity. They argue that they can do it by hand in mere seconds while the engineers are off designing entire systems to answer the question. They argue that “you don’t need to design a calculator to answer 2 + 2.” Duh. Of course you don’t, being a human that understands basic math. Idiot. Go ahead and keep doing your own math by hand. I’m going to go build a machine to handle the payroll taxes. See ya!
The most complicated systems are born from the most simple of premises, and those premises can conceal thousands of constituent requirements. I’m to the point now where I can hardly make a pot of coffee without being overwhelmed by the intricaies of motion, chemistry, and thermodynamics involved. I just stand there staring at the dumb thing wondering “how the heck do you do it, you stupid coffee maker.”
Of course, the coffee in that coffee maker is a product of countless systems; the crude oil production facilities and plastics factories that form the coffee maker, the manufacturing engineering and thousands of failed designs required to build a reliable device that won’t burst into flames, the labor in the cocoa fields and plantations to pick each individual bean from a plant, the trucks and ships that require gallons of gasoline to transport the coffee beans, the computers used in the graphic design and manufacture of the product packing, the trees from somewhere in the world whose pulp is bleached and pressed into coffee filters, the natural resources and civil engineering and utilities infrastructure required to generate the electricity to my wall outlet, and the pipes and facilities to bring the water from the river, sanitize it, and deliver it under pressure to my house.
Disruptions in any one of these systems threatens that cup of coffee on your table. It’s not just a cup of coffee; it is a miracle that is rarely illuminated and yet infinitely fragile. Yet, no one would argue that coffee is too complicated.
Everything is complicated. Before you argue that something is too complex, do us all a favor and find a different way to express your concern. Your concern is probably valid, but your argument is probably not correct.
I am realizing that, with so much complexity, only the faithful can lead peaceful lives. I myself have good days and bad days.
