Tim Rowledge wrote:

> Plenty of people have noticed the link btween architecture and
> software, and more recently of the value of patterns as seen in the
> Alexander book. Whilst seeking out info on housebuilding I came across
> http://www.bensonwood.com/openbuilt/whitepaper2003.pdf  and found it
> startlingly like a paper on good late bound software architecture. I
> really think it's worth a read. Maybe we should start agitating for
> late binding in our buildings as well as our software?

<tongue-in-cheek>
Quite striking parallels. However, maybe they should learn from software 
technology, instead, which suggests urgently to leave everything as is. The 
MS Windows experience has shown that it is much more profitable for everyone 
involved (on the provider's side) to have an inferior base product and thus 
make it possible to sell tons and tons of support services, much much more 
overall than you could make from a technologically superb solution. What 
would we have to sell to the customer, if our products were simple, reliable 
and easily changed and maintained? Should we slay the goose that lays the 
golden eggs?
</tongue-in-cheek>

Cheers, Lothar