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I haven't seen that article. The way I see it, there are a few different kinds of software. An old kind is something like using a spreadsheet instead of an abacus or punch cards, using a word processor instead of a typewriter, email instead of snail mail / fax machine, etc. In this case, you're using computers/software to increase the efficiency of some external, real-world, non-computer thing, and it works pretty well, especially if you have a complicated logistical problem like running a big warehouse, airline, bank, etc. Another kind is software that talks to other software, like a trading algorithm, exchange, a search engine or spam filter where the inputs to your software are the outputs from some other person's software. In this kind of software, there is never any permanent outcome/result, it's just a never-ending arms race where you write some software that temporarily produces better results, but then the other side figures out a more elaborate way to exploit it and get through the filter or better SEO results or whatever, and then you obfuscate some more / change again, etc. Unfortunately, more and more software is now in the latter camp :( |