2007-09-04
The Parable of the Software Architect
"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.
"A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
"Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on
"Then an architect walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the architect jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The architect says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
I've been asked about what software architecture means, and what good it does. It's a way out of the hole, drawn by someone who's been there before.
The first time I heard the original version of this parable about friendship was on the West Wing, my absolute favourite TV series ever. It stuck with me.
"A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
"Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on
"Then an architect walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the architect jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The architect says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"
I've been asked about what software architecture means, and what good it does. It's a way out of the hole, drawn by someone who's been there before.
The first time I heard the original version of this parable about friendship was on the West Wing, my absolute favourite TV series ever. It stuck with me.
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