Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 10:22
AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] "good enough" and
such
First, Ed, you know we all love ya.
My thanks also for your last recount of the
incident.
Finally, the couple of comments on engineers
accepting good enough reminds me of the best example of that
philosphy and one which drove it home to me most vividly. It came in the form
of a Simpson's episode where Homer was using a time machine. Each time he
returned from the past his environment was somewhat different due to his
having disturbed something in the past. Because it wasn't just what he wanted
he kept returning to the past to try to "fix" the future. He finally
thought he had it right with home and family looking just like he had left
them but as they began to eat a meal the rest of them ate like frogs with
their tongues. Tired of all this search for perfection Homer says "Oh well
close enough". Those writers really know about life in the real
world.
Peter
Thanks Peter,
Its nice to feel welcome
{:>). I have nothing against perfection - except I don't have the
time, money nor inclination to achieve it. Functionality first and
foremost, then if you want/have the time and money to make it pretty, that's
fine.
Reminds me of the Greek parable about two
fellow being told about a test. A sack of gold was place out some
distance in front of them both. They were both told there was only one
condition, they could only take 10 steps and each subsequent one could be no
further than 1/2 the remaining distance to the sack.
The first gentleman (a very smart
and theoretical type) was offered the first opportunity to close the
distance and pick up the gold. He thought about it a bit and then
declined, pointing out that 1/2 of the remaining distance each time meant that
you could never get there to the sack of gold, but would always have 1/2
dn to go.
So the second gentleman was give his opportunity,
being more the "engineering" type, he immediately started toward the gold
following the rule of only advancing 1/2 of the remaining distance. When
the remaining distance became so small as to make infeasible to continue he
was 18" short of the sack of gold. "See", say the superior first
gentleman, "you were foolish to even start as you could clearly never
reach the gold" "Your right of course" replied the second gentleman as
he bent over and reached out to grasp the sack of gold. "But close enough
is good enough" and headed toward the local tavern to celebrate his good
fortune.
I always like that story for some
reason
Best Regards
Ed
Anderson