in reply to What is Enterprise Software?

Nothing really useful to add to the conversation. It was just this line that struck me as funny.

Most people ... don't really use Perl, although they use things that use Perl. Most people directly use the water, electricity, and other things I included in my list.

Ok, water I'll concede, but electricity? In many years of corporate work I have NEVER seen anyone stick their fingers into the mains to get their shot of electricity for the day. (Not on purpose, at least.) The Perl/electricity analogy may be better than you initially thought. You don't absolutely need it to get useful work done, but it sure makes things easier.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^2: What is Enterprise Software?
by brian_d_foy (Abbot) on Oct 31, 2005 at 16:13 UTC

    In your many years of corporate work you've never plugged in a computer, used a coffee pot, or turned on the lights? If electricity isn't powering those things, what are you using instead?

    --
    brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>
    Subscribe to The Perl Review
[reply]

      Sure I have. But I've never taken a raw electric arc and used it to heat water or provide light. Not that I couldn't, mind you, I just find it easier to use the elecricity indirectly and let the coffemaker and lighting fixtures do it.

      I was only commenting that that statement raised an amusing image when I read it.

      That being said, I personally view Perl as being infrastructure. Few people other than programmers ever deal with it directly. Most users have a very hazy view of how it works or if it is being used in a particular application and only really notice it when it breaks.

[reply]

In Section Meditations