[QUANTITY] Data Model for Quantity v0.5 - analogue absurdium

[David Berry]

> > I think we are not starting from nothing, or anywhere near nothing. There
> > are already developed systems in regular use around the world which are
> > similar to the proposed Quantity model. It must surely make sense to
> > build on the existing experience rather than throwing it all away and
> > starting back at the "bicycle" stage. You never reach the aircraft
> > stage if you keep on throwing away previous experience.
>
> If we have a bicycle, do we say we will now build a new and super 'Car'
> that will do all the things a bicycle does, and everything we now use
> must be based around a car?
>
> We certainly need to keep *experience* in order to reach the aircraft
> stage, but we *should* be throwing away everything *else*.   Trying to
> build a jet fighter with bicycle technology will (very probably...) fail.

Ummm... I'm loosing the analogy a bit here. Are you saying that the
currently existing "Quantity-like" software is "bicycle technology"
which we should junk? My point in raising the point that we already have
such software was to show that the Quantity draft is not such a huge leap
as may be thought.

David

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr David S. Berry    (dsb at ast.man.ac.uk)

STARLINK project		 |	Centre for Astrophysics
(http://www.starlink.ac.uk/)	 |	University of Central Lancashire
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory	 |	PRESTON
DIDCOT				 |	United Kingdom
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