Aging Software

  • EdVassie (10/7/2015)


    IoT is seen as disruptive for many aspects of IT. It will be interesting to see in 30 years time how it has affected software support.

    Hadn't thought of that, but I agree. It will be interesting to look back.

  • Steve Jones - SSC Editor (10/7/2015)


    EdVassie (10/7/2015)


    IoT is seen as disruptive for many aspects of IT. It will be interesting to see in 30 years time how it has affected software support.

    Hadn't thought of that, but I agree. It will be interesting to look back.

    I don't believe that IoT will stop any aging nor deprecation nor discontinuation nor forms of obsolescence. It's "just" another "thing" in the world of software and will be made to suffer the same problems as the current internet. Considering how big and all encompassing that it's supposed to be, I think those problems will be even more severe although deprecation may occur at a slower rate.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.
    "Change is inevitable... change for the better is not".

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)
    Intro to Tally Tables and Functions

  • EdVassie, terrific post. Very thought-provoking.

    And, erm, by the way, I'm keeping my toaster oven no matter what.

  • GoofyGuy (10/7/2015)


    EdVassie, terrific post. Very thought-provoking.

    And, erm, by the way, I'm keeping my toaster oven no matter what.

    But if you don't upgrade to the new SmartToaster 2.5, YOU ARE A LOSER!

    I am not a fan of IoT. Too many devices that can't be updated, too many buggy internet stack implementations that can't or won't be updated. I don't need my refrigerator telling me that I'm low in milk: I know that. While I would appreciate an alarm that told me if my fridge or freezer were getting warm, they don't need to be online for me to do that.

    (meanwhile, a "benign" virus has gone around routers that are using default passwords and are not patched and 'inoculates' them against botnet malware. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34423414)

    For me, IoT is a product looking for a need. The Nest thermostat is cool tech that is useful to a lot of people, not to me (we don't have A/C or central heating). The ability to change the color of my lighting would be fun (Phillips Hue lights), but I would probably not bother with that after a week except for rare occasions. My 25 year old microwave has never needed a patch, nor has my dishwasher. Yet at the same time, when I went do Denver SQL Saturday, I had with me: two laptops, two tablets, a smartphone, a smart watch (Pebble Time Steel!), and a GPS that qualifies as a computer. Seven computing devices. My car didn't count as it wasn't very advanced, but the one I'm getting Saturday is.

    Eventually IoT might produce something that I find interesting and useful that I might consider buying for more than its 'toy' value, but I think that's going to take a while.

    -----
    [font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]

  • IoT appliances benefit service providers more than it does consumers. Of course groceries stores would love to peek inside your refrigerator and see what you've got in stock. Not only to send you reminders and targeted ads but more importantly to profile your shopping habits. For example, they know what you buy from their store, but they don't know what else you're buying. I predict that IoT appliances will end up being like cheap Android tablets or cell phones, where they sell them to the public at the deep promotional price but also install ad-ware or "spyware".

    IoT cell phones, refrigerators and Television sets as a "service".

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • Eric M Russell wrote:

    IoT appliances benefit service providers more than it does consumers.

    I guess I'll trot out my capitalist top-hat and say that if consumers are willing to accept the goods and services offered by IoT service providers, it's entirely voluntary and mutually beneficial.

    And anyhow, all I have in my fridge is a jar of olives and a six-pack of PBR with five cans left. Not much of interest to anyone. Especially the PBR.

  • I feel a bit like Adama on Battlestar Galactica... I prefer devices that have no computers in them. If I could, I'd retrofit my vehicles so no On-Star, no "black box" recorder, no built-in GPS, no engine computer, etc, etc.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.
    "Change is inevitable... change for the better is not".

    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)
    Intro to Tally Tables and Functions

  • If I could, I'd retrofit my vehicles ...

    I drive an ancient Volvo. Not a chip in sight. And I like it that way.

  • IoT is just the latest marketing buzz phrase. Just like "Big Data", it's something that the group of folks in the industry that don't actual do technical work can throw around to generate buzz. IoT has no real standards and still doesn't address security issues. It's a hodgepodge of crap being generated by wonks that just discovered embedded programming by playing with an Raspberry PI and made an LED blink. It's attempt to bootstrap additional revenue off the "Maker" movement.

    That being said, there's a lot of cool hardware and software for hard core geeks to play with. We will see more real products come out of the technical advances, but 64 bit toasters with GPS, DSPs and FPGAs is just hubris. Hopefully the security issues don't get worse, but I doubt it.

  • GoofyGuy (10/7/2015)


    Eric M Russell wrote:

    IoT appliances benefit service providers more than it does consumers.

    I guess I'll trot out my capitalist top-hat and say that if consumers are willing to accept the goods and services offered by IoT service providers, it's entirely voluntary and mutually beneficial.

    And anyhow, all I have in my fridge is a jar of olives and a six-pack of PBR with five cans left. Not much of interest to anyone. Especially the PBR.

    What you have in your refrigerator would be very much of interest to your health insurance provider or your employer. Nothing but beer and olives? tsk... tsk...

    Google is a free service, but if you have a Google+ account, and you do a web search on keywords related to something like health condition (or something potentially even more embarrassing), then your name, address, and phone number get added to a database for which Google will offer for sale.

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • Nothing but beer and olives? tsk... tsk...

    And it's not even real beer.

    It's Pabst.

  • It's Pabst.

    Are you trying to trap hipsters for meat or something? 😀

    Or do we need to start a GoFundMe for you to get some real beer? 😛

  • chrisn-585491 (10/7/2015)


    Are you trying to trap hipsters for meat or something? 😀

    No, hipsters are always in bad taste.

    Or do we need to start a GoFundMe for you to get some real beer? 😛

    Maybe, thanks, but I'm not sure what 'real beer' is any more! This whole IPA craze has me despairing for a good porter or stout. 😉

  • This whole IPA craze has me despairing for a good porter or stout.

    Yeah, I don't care for hoppy beer either. But there's lots of other greatness on the microbrew market. We have lots of awesome local breweries in the DFW area and I live spitting distance from one and down the street from an awesome rum and bourbon distiller.

    😀

    Can't go to PASS, but at least I can pass out in my backyard! 😛

  • We have lots of awesome local breweries in the DFW area and I live spitting distance from one and down the street from an awesome rum and bourbon distiller.

    * turning green with beer envy *

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