2006-01-08
Designer
The painting proves that there is a painter. The watch has a watchmaker. My computer has a designer...
Let’s have a look. I see a QWERTY keyboard patented by Christopher Sholes in 1868. It certainly was a very good design for the mechanical typewriter, but is it good for a computer in the 21st century? I see a dozen different connectors. Each of them well designed a decade (or two) ago by different companies, but all together? I see a display with Windows. Does the operating system have a designer? A group of designers? Not even that! It’s a collection of bits and pieces of designs made by thousands of people from different companies and organisations. Most of the designers would not have imagined that their designs would get into such a system. Other designers complain about the designs that are already in the system they have to use. My specialization is internet and web applications. Almost every day I have to find my way through specifications and designs (hundreds!) made by unrelated designers. (html, xml, javascript, css, svg, tcp, ip, http, mime-types...). I’m putting my designs in this web of other designs.
My computer does not have one designer, but several thousand designers and the only thing they have in common is that they were born on this planet in the 20th century. What about a city or the society? Who designed it? Lots of people have done bits and pieces, but who has put in the poverty and terrorism?
But a painting ...? Well, there was someone bringing the paint on the canvas, maybe with an assistant. Someone made the canvas, somebody else a frame. Somebody produced the paint that has changed colour over time. Probably there was a client ordering the painting. There were colleague painters who inspired the painter and a wife that brought him in a certain mood.
All the painting proves is that there is a creative process or processes. So creation proves there is creation. I never liked logic.
Let’s have a look. I see a QWERTY keyboard patented by Christopher Sholes in 1868. It certainly was a very good design for the mechanical typewriter, but is it good for a computer in the 21st century? I see a dozen different connectors. Each of them well designed a decade (or two) ago by different companies, but all together? I see a display with Windows. Does the operating system have a designer? A group of designers? Not even that! It’s a collection of bits and pieces of designs made by thousands of people from different companies and organisations. Most of the designers would not have imagined that their designs would get into such a system. Other designers complain about the designs that are already in the system they have to use. My specialization is internet and web applications. Almost every day I have to find my way through specifications and designs (hundreds!) made by unrelated designers. (html, xml, javascript, css, svg, tcp, ip, http, mime-types...). I’m putting my designs in this web of other designs.
My computer does not have one designer, but several thousand designers and the only thing they have in common is that they were born on this planet in the 20th century. What about a city or the society? Who designed it? Lots of people have done bits and pieces, but who has put in the poverty and terrorism?
But a painting ...? Well, there was someone bringing the paint on the canvas, maybe with an assistant. Someone made the canvas, somebody else a frame. Somebody produced the paint that has changed colour over time. Probably there was a client ordering the painting. There were colleague painters who inspired the painter and a wife that brought him in a certain mood.
All the painting proves is that there is a creative process or processes. So creation proves there is creation. I never liked logic.
# posted by Sander @ 00:07 
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Interesting little story... I like the idea we have invented "law" to define entities that cover a lot of people responsible for a design. For example the entity "Microsoft" is reponsable for your Windows operating system. A lot of different people working there. Is there any predetermined consiousness comparable with the single mind that created the painting involved?
# posted by 
: 8/1/06 14:46
: 8/1/06 14:46
Yeah, the funny thing is that we hold Microsoft responsible for a system that has largely been invented by people that do not work for the company. MS has just put it all together. Unfortunately, quite often this result does not conform to the original design and specification. The whole thing has never been designed as one entity, which is very clear if you see the inconsistencies and flaws.
Internet Explorer is currently considered to be an essential element of Windows. It is based on specifications (http, html, javascript, css, jpg, gif, ...) written by people that are not on MS payrolls. The only things they invented were ActiveX components that are a source of security problems.
User interfaces, networking, databases, email, browsers, messaging... anything I can think of matured in another company (all different!), before it got into Windows.
MS does the marketing and earns the money. Nice idea to give them the responsibility as well.
The whole development of the PC? It is hard to identify any consiousness behind it. It is certainly not predetermined, nor single.
Just an idea... real creation is taking place by independent people, who are not bothered by managers and marketing of an existing product. Creativity is not a predetermined consious process.
Internet Explorer is currently considered to be an essential element of Windows. It is based on specifications (http, html, javascript, css, jpg, gif, ...) written by people that are not on MS payrolls. The only things they invented were ActiveX components that are a source of security problems.
User interfaces, networking, databases, email, browsers, messaging... anything I can think of matured in another company (all different!), before it got into Windows.
MS does the marketing and earns the money. Nice idea to give them the responsibility as well.
The whole development of the PC? It is hard to identify any consiousness behind it. It is certainly not predetermined, nor single.
Just an idea... real creation is taking place by independent people, who are not bothered by managers and marketing of an existing product. Creativity is not a predetermined consious process.
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