A novice went into the master's cubicle and saw a new computer sitting upon
the master's desk.
"What is that computer?" asked the novice.
The master placed his hand upon a small box that was connected to the computer
by a wire. "Behold," said the master, "This device controls what we see on the
screen. The screen simulates a desk. For example, here is a filing cabinet
and a trash depository. Here also is a typewriter and a calculator."
"This is a wonderful invention," whispered the novice in awe.
"It is not as wonderful as it seems," said the master. "Can you see the two
desks?"
The novice nodded. "One is on the floor, the other is on the screen," he
remarked.
"Just so. Now, is there something missing on one of the two desks?"
The novice pondered for a moment. "One of the desks does not have a computer
on it," he said.
The master shook his head. "Neither of the desks has a computer on it."
-- The Zen of Programming
A novice programmer was once assigned to code a simple financial
package.
The novice worked furiously for many days, but when his master
reviewed his program, he discovered that it contained a screen editor, a set
of generalized graphics routines, and artificial intelligence interface,
but not the slightest mention of anything financial....
