RE: [AM] Plato on Documentation versus Traceability

Plato (in the Phaedrus, quoting Socrates) was railing against book 
learning, not the recording of facts. The full quotation is worth 
reading:
"If men learn this [writing], it will implant forgetfulness in their 
souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that 
which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within 
themselves, but by means of external marks." Books, "by telling them of 
many things without teaching them" will make students "seem to know 
much, while for the most part they know nothing, and as men filled, not 
with wisdom, but with the conceit of wisdom, they will be a burden to 
their fellows. Then anyone who leaves behind him a written manual, and 
likewise anyone who takes it over from him, on the supposition that such 
writing will provide something reliable and permanent, must be 
exceedingly simple-minded."

I'd say that a software development project results in a collection of 
facts and artefacts that must be traceable. Trouble is: without writing 
down these facts, there is no traceability.
  In pre- or semi-literate societies, people tend to have more powerful 
and reliable memories than in literate societies. We have spent our 
lives in a literate society, and thus have not developed our memories 
well enough to NOT rely on writing.

Mind you, I'd agree with Plato that book (or on-line) learning in 
isolation is no good.

For more information about AM, visit the Agile Modeling Home Page at www.agilemodeling.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: [email protected]

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrKDA.bWnbtk.Z2NtYS1h
Or send an email to: [email protected]

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------