According to Wikipedia, Second System Effect
refers to the tendency, when following on from a relatively small, elegant and successful system, to design the successor as an elephantine, feature-laden monstrosity.
So for example take CTSS and Multics. Or Golmaal and Golmaal Returns. OK, GR is not that bad, but it's not that good either. I really enjoyed a few jokes, but having too many not too well defined leads means you have to craft scenes to prove a character's worth, you have to craft scenes to introduce them to the audience and to each other and in the end nobody gets the time that they deserve/need. Bad Idea.
But let's not forget the third system effect (for example take Unix). And I hear that Golmaal 3 is in the making. So let's wait.
refers to the tendency, when following on from a relatively small, elegant and successful system, to design the successor as an elephantine, feature-laden monstrosity.
So for example take CTSS and Multics. Or Golmaal and Golmaal Returns. OK, GR is not that bad, but it's not that good either. I really enjoyed a few jokes, but having too many not too well defined leads means you have to craft scenes to prove a character's worth, you have to craft scenes to introduce them to the audience and to each other and in the end nobody gets the time that they deserve/need. Bad Idea.
But let's not forget the third system effect (for example take Unix). And I hear that Golmaal 3 is in the making. So let's wait.
2 comments:
hmm..true..but Apple is one of always seems to avoid that effect.
It happened with Apple II - Lisa
from wikipedia,
The complexity of the Lisa operating system and its programs taxed the 5 MHz Motorola 68000 microprocessor so that the system felt sluggish..
But Mac (which was not the main project, it was Lisa) saved them back then..
but yes, in general, Apple seems to come up with one groundbreaking product after another (maybe they too have read that wikipedia article ;-)..
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