> As the primary net effect of software is to facilitate bureaucratic complexity it is therefor essential that software projects fail
I love this conceptualization of what software is for. But I have the complete opposite moral interpretation.
Unstated is the presumption that bureaucratic complexity is bad. I think increasing it is the goal of society, and ethics constantly demand us to increase it.
For example, it’s easy for banks to simply reject loan applicants who were convicted of felonies. There’s no easy upside: given existing loan approval and repayment processes there’s no clear way to give those loans profitably.
There is a huge social cost to that group lacking access to credit though. It increases crime and violence.
And there is probably a long term financial cost too: some felons will reliably make their payments. And still more COULD reliably make payments with the right support.
So how does a bank separate out those groups and provide that support?
Increase bureaucratic complexity!
I am not necessarily in favor of locating that complexity in a state government. As an anarchist I would want to locate it as close to the affected community as possible....
But to me the dream of software is nearly infinite bureaucratic complexity that affords all of us greater freedom, and health.
I love this conceptualization of what software is for. But I have the complete opposite moral interpretation.
Unstated is the presumption that bureaucratic complexity is bad. I think increasing it is the goal of society, and ethics constantly demand us to increase it.
For example, it’s easy for banks to simply reject loan applicants who were convicted of felonies. There’s no easy upside: given existing loan approval and repayment processes there’s no clear way to give those loans profitably.
There is a huge social cost to that group lacking access to credit though. It increases crime and violence.
And there is probably a long term financial cost too: some felons will reliably make their payments. And still more COULD reliably make payments with the right support.
So how does a bank separate out those groups and provide that support?
Increase bureaucratic complexity!
I am not necessarily in favor of locating that complexity in a state government. As an anarchist I would want to locate it as close to the affected community as possible....
But to me the dream of software is nearly infinite bureaucratic complexity that affords all of us greater freedom, and health.