Specialization quotes
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Contents
Christopher_Wolfgang_Alexander
Design Information Overload
“Not only is the quantity of information itself by now beyond the reach of single designers, but the various specialists who retail it are narrow and unfamiliar with the form-makes' peculiar problems, so that it is never clear quite how the designer should best consult them.”
- Source: Alexander, C. (1964). Notes on the Synthesis of Form. Harvard University Press. ISBN: 9780674627512. Retrieved 2018-03-29 from https://monoskop.org/images/f/ff/Alexander_Christopher_Notes_on_the_Synthesis_of_Form.pdf . Page 4.
- See Also:
Isaac_Asimov
Physics
“Physics is the basic science. One can easily argue that all other sciences are specialized aspects of physics.”
- Source: Isaac Asimov, chapter epigraph in Isaac Asimov’s Book of Science and Nature Quotations, edited by Isaac Asimov and Jason A. Shulman, published in 1988 by Weidenfeld and Nicolson, New York. Chapter 56, page 210. ISBN 1-555-84111-2.
- See Also:
- Keywords: Physics_quotes Basic_quotes Science_quotes Argue_quotes Specialization_quotes Aspect_quotes
Robert_N_Britcher
Module Specialization
“Centuries of experience and common sense dictate that a module be specialized, that it do one thing or one set of related things, like the liver or the heart...”
- Source: Britcher, Robert N. (1999). The Limits of Software: People, Projects, and Perspectives. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley. ISBN 0-201-43323-0. Page 43.
Alistair_Cockburn
Formal Development
"In the formal development of communications software, in 1987, I was given the motivation, 'The problem with software development is that there is too much ambiguity in the problem statement and in the design description. Things will go better if we get people to work with mathematical formalisms.” After some work in this area, I discovered:
Problem 1. The people on the projects were not interested in learning our system.
Problem 2. They were successfully able to ignore us, and were still delivering software, anyway.
I shifted out of formal development, hearing my formal development colleagues saying, 'The problem lies in the training. Things will go better if we start training students in the necessary mathematics earlier, i.e., secondary school.' Based on what I have learned about people, I expect this will be a frustrated desire. It is not that I doubt certain advantages of formal development, but I do doubt our ability to coax 10**6 people to master it. The question should become, 'Under what circumstances, and with what assignment, should a formal specialist be called in?'"
Source: Cockburn, A. A. R. (1999). Characterizing people as non-linear 1st order components in software development. HaT Technical Report 1999.03, Humans and Technology, Inc.. Retrieved 2019-06-29 from https://ameyakarve.wordpress.com
- Keywords: Formality_quotes Methodology_quotes Software_quotes Development_quotes Ambiguity_quotes Design_quotes Specification_quotes Requirements_quotes Training_quotes Education_quotes Specialization_quotes Communication_quotes Motivation_quotes Problem_quotes Statement_quotes Description_quotes People_quotes Work_quotes Mathematics_quotes Learning_quotes Success_quotes Ignore_quotes Deliver_quotes Colleague_quotes Student_quotes School_quotes Frustration_quotes Desire_quotes Advantage_quotes Circumstance_quotes Assignment_quotes Master_quotes
David_Epstein
Breadth
“The challenge we all face is how to maintain the benefits of breadth, diverse experience, interdisciplinary thinking, and delayed concentration in a world that increasingly incentivizes, even demands, hyperspecialization.”
- Source: David Epstein in the book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”. Published 2019 by Riverhead Books. Introduction, page 13. ISBN 978-0735214484.
- Keywords: Challenge_quotes Face_quotes Maintain_quotes Benefit_quotes Breadth_quotes Diversity_quotes Experience_quotes Interdisciplinary_quotes Thinking_quotes Delay_quotes Concentration_quotes World_quotes Increase_quotes Incentive_quotes Demand_quotes Hyperspecialization_quotes Specialization_quotes
Unkind Domains
“When narrow specialization is combined with an unkind domain, the human tendency to rely on experience of familiar patterns can backfire horribly.”
- Source: David Epstein in the book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”. Published 2019 by Riverhead Books. Chapter 1, page 32. ISBN 978-0735214484.
- Keywords: Unkind_quotes Domain_quotes Narrow_quotes Specialization_quotes Combine_quotes Human_quotes Tendency_quotes Rely_quotes Experience_quotes Familiar_quotes Backfire_quotes Horrible_quotes
Robert_Heinlein
Specialization
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”.
- Source: Written by Robert A. Heinlein in the book “Time Enough for Love”, published in 1973 by Putnam's Sons, ISBN: 0-399-11151-4. ISBN: 9781101503072 (ebook). Page 256 (Kindle edition).
- Keywords: Human_quotes Being_quotes Diaper_quotes Plan_quotes Invasion_quotes Butcher_quotes Hog_quotes Conn_quotes Ship_quotes Design_quotes Building_quotes Write_quotes Sonnet_quotes Balance_quotes Account_quotes Build_quotes Wall_quotes Bone_quotes Comfort_quotes Dying_quotes Take_quotes Order_quotes Give_quotes Cooperate_quotes Act_quotes Solve_quotes Equation_quotes Analyze_quotes Problem_quotes Pitch_quotes Manure_quotes Program_quotes Computer_quotes Cook_quotes Taste_quotes Meal_quotes Fight_quotes Efficient_quotes Die_quotes Gallant_quotes Specialization_quotes Insect_quotes Generalization_quotes
Alexander_Kossiakoff et al.
Skeptical Positive Thinking
"The Power of Skeptical Positive Thinking... is meant to capture an important characteristic of successful systems engineering. The skeptical part is important to temper the traditional optimism of the design specialist regarding the probability of success of a chosen design approach. It is the driving force for the insistence of validation of the approach selected at the earliest possible opportunity. The other dimension of skepticism, which is directly related to the characteristic of positive thinking, refers to the reaction in the face of failure or apparent failure of a selected technique or design approach. Many design specialists who encounter an unexpected failure are plunged into despair. The systems engineer, on the other hand, cannot afford the luxury of hand wringing."
- Source:Kossiakoff, Alexander; Sweet, William N.; Seymour, Samuel J.; Biemer, Steven M.. 'Systems Engineering Principles and Practice'. 2011. Wiley. Kindle Edition. Section 1.6 page 23.
- See Also:
- Keywords: Power_quotes Skepticism_quotes Positive_quotes Thinking_quotes Importance_quotes Success_quotes System_quotes Engineering_quotes Optimism_quotes Design_quotes Specialization_quotes Probability_quotes Validation_quotes Early_quotes Opportunity_quotes Failure_quotes Despair_quotes Luxury_quotes Characteristic_quotes Drive_quotes Force_quotes Insist_quotes Approach_quotes Select_quotes Dimension_quotes Direct_quotes Relate_quotes Reaction_quotes Face_quotes Apparent_quotes Technique_quotes Encounter_quotes Unexpected_quotes Plunge_quotes Afford_quotes Hand_quotes Wring_quotes
Steven_Pinker
Modular Mind
“The mind is organized into modules or mental organs, each with a specialized design that makes it an expert in one arena of interaction with the world.”
- Source: Steven Pinker (1997). How the Mind Works. New York, NY: W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-06973-0; eISBN 978-0-393-06973-0. Chapter 1 Section Reverse-Engineering the Psyche.
- Keywords: Mind_quotes Organize_quotes Module_quotes Mental_quotes Organ_quotes Specialization_quotes Design_quotes Expert_quotes Area_quotes Interaction_quotes World_quotes
Herbert_Simon
Markets and Coordination
“Markets aim to coordinate the decisions and behavior of multitudes of economic actors to guarantee that the quantity of brussels sprouts shipped to market bears some reasonable relation to the quantity that consumers will buy and eat, and that the price at which brussels sprouts can be sold bears a reasonable relation to the cost of producing them. Any society that is not a subsistence economy, but has substantial specialization and division of labor, needs mechanisms to perform this coordinative function. Markets are only one, however, among the spectrum of mechanisms of coordination on which any society relies. [central planning, bargaining and negotiation, business, government, education, balloting procedures]”
- Source: Simon, H. A. (1996). The Sciences of the Artificial (Third Edition). Computers & Mathematics with Applications (3rd ed., Vol. 33). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN: 9780585360102. Retrieved 2018-08-23 from https://monoskop.org/images/9/9c/Simon_Herbert_A_The_Sciences_of_the_Artificial_3rd_ed.pdf. Chapter 2, page 30.
- Keywords: Market_quotes Aim_quotes Coordination_quotes Decision_quotes Behavior_quotes Multitude_quotes Economics_quotes Actor_quotes Guarantee_quotes Quantity_quotes Brussels_Sprount_quotes Market_quotes Reason_quotes Relational_quotes Consumer_quotes Buy_quotes Eat_quotes Price_quotes Sell_quotes Cost_quotes Production_quotes Society_quotes Subsistence_quotes Economy_quotes Substance_quotes Specialization_quotes Division_quotes Labor_quotes Mechanism_quotes Performance_quotes Function_quotes Spectrum_quotes Reliance_quotes Centralization_quotes Plan_quotes Bargin_quotes Negotiation_quotes Business_quotes Government_quotes Education_quotes Ballot_quotes Procedure_quotes
Bounded Rationality
“In a world of bounded rationality there are several ways to magnify the computing capabilities of individual human beings and enhance the possibilities of their collective survival and prosperity. With the combined use of markets and administrative hierarchies, the human species has enormously increased its capabilities for specialization and division of work.”
- Source: Simon, H. A. (1996). The Sciences of the Artificial (Third Edition). Computers & Mathematics with Applications (3rd ed., Vol. 33). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN: 9780585360102. Retrieved 2018-08-23 from https://monoskop.org/images/9/9c/Simon_Herbert_A_The_Sciences_of_the_Artificial_3rd_ed.pdf. Chapter 2, page 43.
- Keywords: World_quotes Bounding_quotes Rational_quotes Way_quotes Magnify_quotes Computation_quotes Capability_quotes Individual_quotes Human_quotes Enhancement_quotes Possibility_quotes Collective_quotes Survival_quotes Prosper_quotes Combination_quotes Market_quotes Administration_quotes Hierarchy_quotes Species_quotes Enormous_quotes Increasing_quotes Specialization_quotes Division_quotes Work_quotes
