"For the human makers of things, the incompletenesses and
inconsistencies of our ideas become clear only during implementation.
Thus it is that writing, experimentation, 'working out; are essential
disciplines for the theoretician.

In many creative activities the medium of execution is intractble.
Lumber splits; paints smear; electrical circuits ring. These
physical limitations of the medium constrain the ideas that may be
expressed, and they also create unexpected difficulties in the
implementation.

Implementation , then, takes time and sweat both becaues of the
physical limitations of the media and because of the inadequacies of
the underlying ideas. We tend to blame the physical media for most
of our implementation difficulties; for the media are not 'ours' in
the way the ideas are, and our pride colors our judgment.

Computer programming, however, creates with an exceedingly tractable
medium. The programmer builds from pure thought-stuff: concepts and
very flexible representations thereof. Because the medium is
tractable, we expect few difficulties in implementation; hence our
pervasive optimism. Because our ideas are faulty, we have bugs;
hence our optimism is unjustified."
- frederick p. brooks, 1972


"Between thought and expression
There lies a lifetime."
- lou reed, 1968


"The lyfe so short,
The crafte so long to lerne."
- geoff chaucer, 1386


"God is in the details."
- eponymous


_
_