Comments on: The Purpose of Software http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:33:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: nor http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-340 nor Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:16:10 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-340 nowadays,purpose of software and the benefits still cannot understanding by many people.can u please explain it to me,step by step? i really need to know it to complete my learning............ nowadays,purpose of software and the benefits still cannot understanding by many people.can u please explain it to me,step by step?
i really need to know it to complete my learning…………

]]> By: Max Kanat-Alexander http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-214 Max Kanat-Alexander Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:54:40 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-214 Sure. Although I doubt there are many video games whose <em>purpose</em> is to help you with coordination. -Max Sure. Although I doubt there are many video games whose purpose is to help you with coordination.

-Max

]]> By: Jamie http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-213 Jamie Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:18:44 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-213 I think computer games helps people with things like coordination and the likes as well as entertainment.A screen saver can enhance the looks and feel of one's desktop as well. I think computer games helps people with things like coordination and the likes as well as entertainment.A screen saver can enhance the looks and feel of one’s desktop as well.

]]> By: Max Kanat-Alexander http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-183 Max Kanat-Alexander Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:38:19 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-183 Well, botnets aren't helping the people whose computers they take over. They're helping the people who take over the computers. A virus isn't helping the people it infects--it's helping its author destroy the computers of other people. Although in a practical sense I'd certainly make a judgment on the value of these pieces of software, their <em>purpose</em> can still be described in terms of "to help people <em>X</em>". They help people harm others. That might be a good definition for <em>malware</em>. -Max Well, botnets aren’t helping the people whose computers they take over. They’re helping the people who take over the computers. A virus isn’t helping the people it infects–it’s helping its author destroy the computers of other people.

Although in a practical sense I’d certainly make a judgment on the value of these pieces of software, their purpose can still be described in terms of “to help people X“. They help people harm others. That might be a good definition for malware.

-Max

]]> By: Marat esk Bashirov http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-182 Marat esk Bashirov Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:20:07 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-182 Sorry, but I think bot net are a different part of soft. They do not help people, because no one in mind could say, yeah use my machine for sending that spam(I mean great percent of spam is sent throu botnets). Spam is not helping to advertise people, things like AdSense help. Because, anyway you do not get mails on your mailbox from AdSence, but you get spam, and you couldn't easily say I don't want to get them. PS Sorry for some possible orfografy mistakes. And of course thing I said, are not truth in last instance, they are my thinking. Sorry, but I think bot net are a different part of soft. They do not help people, because no one in mind could say, yeah use my machine for sending that spam(I mean great percent of spam is sent throu botnets).

Spam is not helping to advertise people, things like AdSense help.

Because, anyway you do not get mails on your mailbox from AdSence, but you get spam, and you couldn’t easily say I don’t want to get them.

PS
Sorry for some possible orfografy mistakes.
And of course thing I said, are not truth in last instance, they are my thinking.

]]> By: Max Kanat-Alexander http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-148 Max Kanat-Alexander Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:31:49 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-148 Spam bots help people advertise. Computer games help entertain people. Attractive screen savers either help entertain people or help people create a more aesthetic environment. -Max Spam bots help people advertise.

Computer games help entertain people.

Attractive screen savers either help entertain people or help people create a more aesthetic environment.

-Max

]]> By: Kim Sullivan http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-146 Kim Sullivan Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:46:24 +0000 http://www.codesimplicity.com/archives/21#comment-146 Sorry to play the devil's advocate, but how exactly do spam bots help people, except for making money? Actually, a lot of software is written with the ultimate goal to make money (or, to put it your way, to help people make money). And the better the software is, the better it helps to make money. Even putting illegal activities (like bots or trojans) aside, there's a lot of "corporate" software that just helps to make a bussiness more effective. And for most bussinesses, with a few notable exceptions (like google, or mozilla), more effective just means making more money. Maybe you should say that the purpose of software is not making money for the programmer who writes it - but satisfying a need of a customer (and the customer's need can as well be making money, and the customer can be the programmer himself). Which brings me to another little nit - "helping" is too specific for some software, I think. What do computer games help with? I don't think you can say that they help people to enjoy themselves, because people are able to enjoy themselves even without computer games (on the other hand, browsing the web, or tracking bugs in a distributed environment can probably be not done without the help of software). On the other hand, few games that has been written with the purpose of making money (for the developer/publisher) have actually been succesful (the best games are usually the ones that break new ground, not the safe games that are guaranteed to make money). Or screensavers. They're just eye candy. The most effective screensaver, the one that helps people the most, is the one where it just blanks the screen (and after a while, turns powersaving mode on). Does that mean that any screensaver is by definition bad software? You could probably generalize that screensavers are helping people satisfy their need for pretty moving pictures, but I'm not sure this is what you originally had in mind. Sorry to play the devil’s advocate, but how exactly do spam bots help people, except for making money? Actually, a lot of software is written with the ultimate goal to make money (or, to put it your way, to help people make money). And the better the software is, the better it helps to make money. Even putting illegal activities (like bots or trojans) aside, there’s a lot of “corporate” software that just helps to make a bussiness more effective. And for most bussinesses, with a few notable exceptions (like google, or mozilla), more effective just means making more money.

Maybe you should say that the purpose of software is not making money for the programmer who writes it - but satisfying a need of a customer (and the customer’s need can as well be making money, and the customer can be the programmer himself). Which brings me to another little nit - “helping” is too specific for some software, I think.

What do computer games help with? I don’t think you can say that they help people to enjoy themselves, because people are able to enjoy themselves even without computer games (on the other hand, browsing the web, or tracking bugs in a distributed environment can probably be not done without the help of software). On the other hand, few games that has been written with the purpose of making money (for the developer/publisher) have actually been succesful (the best games are usually the ones that break new ground, not the safe games that are guaranteed to make money).

Or screensavers. They’re just eye candy. The most effective screensaver, the one that helps people the most, is the one where it just blanks the screen (and after a while, turns powersaving mode on). Does that mean that any screensaver is by definition bad software?

You could probably generalize that screensavers are helping people satisfy their need for pretty moving pictures, but I’m not sure this is what you originally had in mind.

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