Saturday, April 21, 2007

Some Random Thoughts on Efficiency

Efficiency in regards to the work of multiple Persons

key ideas:
1 person is the optimal efficiency given sufficient technology.
you pay for a reduction in time with a loss of efficiency

what is possible is limited by the number and quality of people, resources, and time.

people create technology. it comes from nothing. it seems to violate the equivalence principle.

the end point or maximum of efficiency is to possess infinite technology which allows 1 person to instantly accomplish anything using only thought.

what is possible is limited by our creativity. our ability to think to dream up would could be and how it could be done. the packaging of this to allow others to have this process without themselves understanding it is technology.

the full utilization of imperfect technology can only be obtained by those who understand it due to leaky abstractions. it can only be utilized to the extent that the abstraction holds true, and the implementation details do not leak out to the user.

From Descartes (Discourse on the Method)
Of these one of the very first that occurred to me
was, that there is seldom so much perfection in works composed of many
separate parts, upon which different hands had been employed, as in those
completed by a single master.