An evolving system increases its complexity unless work is done to reduce it.
— Meir Lehman
An evolving system increases its complexity unless work is done to reduce it.
— Meir Lehman
Making big beat takes no less than six drum loop layers.
Also true about big beat: if it's worth doing it's worth overdoing.
> The purpose is to warn bystanders to invest in technological #complexity
I think your point is well taken. My introduction to ZFS was gradual, deploying it first on spare H/W to see what it was all about and about half a year later, migrating my home lab file server to ZFS. Years later I'm installing desktop, laptop and servers with ZFS on root. I admit to being a ZFS fanboy, but that took time and practice.
And as always backups are king!
1/2
Most of the biggest problems in software are problems of misconception.
— Rich Hickey
@janl The purpose is to warn bystanders to invest in technological #complexity that seems to be very attractive for its advanced features without acknowledging the risks or efforts associated.
Its learning curve doesn't even allow for an easy start.
As with so many awesome tools, this is something for specific experts and not for new/occasional/advanced users.
BTDT and I've had my fair share of bad experiences.
Current pain in my setup: #NixOS. Instead of providing an abstraction layer to keep away certain OS setup & maintenance problems for good, I got into so many little & bigger troubles that I try to tell people only to use it when they are ready to invest its required learning effort all the way.
From my point of view, this also holds true for "advanced" file systems like #ZFS, #XFS, ... YMMV.
UNIX is simple. It just takes a genius to understand its simplicity.
— Dennis M. Ritchie
Most of the biggest problems in software are problems of misconception.
— Rich Hickey
An interdisciplinary team of researchers has proposed nothing less than a new law of #nature, according to which the #complexity of entities in the #universe increases over time with an inexorability comparable to the second law of #thermodynamics — the law that dictates an inevitable rise in entropy, a measure of disorder.
If they’re right, complex and intelligent #life should be widespread.
#astrobiology #physics
https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-everything-in-the-universe-turns-more-complex-20250402/
Hans Busstra interviews theoretical physicist and #complexity scientist #JamesGlattfelder on his new book: “The #SapientCosmos: What a modern-day synthesis of science and philosophy teaches us about the emergence of information, consciousness, and meaning”, published by #EssentiaFoundation.
Can a #newscience bridge the gap between the noumena and the phenomena, the 1st person and the 3rd person perspective? A bit more provocatively: what is the relationship between #physics, #psychedelic experiences and #shamanism? #Glattfelder makes a plea for syncretic idealism: a worldview that synthesises ancient idealist texts and mystical experiences with physics, complexity science and analytic idealism.
#SyncreticIdealism could lead to a #ScientificSpirituality, a form of #empiricalmysticism that acknowledges a purposeful universe, wanting to know itself through ever increasing complexity."
"Bumper sticker explanations of complicated issues are usually wildly inaccurate!" - Futurist Jim Carroll
There are a lot of people with instant insight on everything and yet who are experts at nothing.
Isn't that the way it goes?
If you spend any time talking with anyone today, it would seem that they are suddenly experts on tariffs and their impact on regional, national, and local economies. Everyone is offering up concise statements of what it means, where it will go, and what will happen. I prefer to listen to global trade experts and economists - folks who are trained in this stuff. In the same way, I'd rather listen to a PhD in vaccine medicine than some quack who gets his information off an obscure conspiracy theorist's Website.
That's why ideas like "trickle-down economics will work" statements are always such a false promise. The notion that tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations automatically benefit everyone has been repeatedly challenged by economic research showing limited "trickle-down" effects and increasing wealth inequality. And yet the bumper sticker wisdom lives on.
Why does this happen?
"Bumper sticker" phrases - catchy one-liners about complex issues - sacrifice accuracy for memorability. They fail to address the multiple perspectives, historical context, systemic factors, competing values, and technical details that complex problems involve. They often aren't based on much more than opinions.
The fact is, oversimplifying leads to:
- Overlooking cause-effect complexities
- Creating false either/or scenarios
- Substituting emotion for analysis
- Reinforcing existing beliefs
Good leaders know when simplicity works and when issues demand a deeper explanation. They engage with complexity and guide others through it thoughtfully. They also know that while bumper-sticker wisdom can be popular, it causes more problems than good.
Ironically, my statement about bumper stickers is itself a bumper sticker - though one that points out its limitations!
Perhaps we need simple reminders to look beyond simplicity.
**#Complexity** **#Nuance** **#Understanding** **#Context** **#Depth** **#Oversimplification** **#Analysis** **#Thinking** **#Perspective** **#Knowledge**
Futurist Jim Carroll is willing to admit that perhaps many of his Daily Inspiration posts contain bumper-sticker wisdom. He lives and owns the contradiction.
Ugly programs are like ugly suspension bridges: they're much more liable to collapse than pretty ones, because the way humans (especially engineer-humans) perceive beauty is intimately related to our ability to process and understand complexity. A language that makes it hard to write elegant code makes it hard to write good code.
— Eric Raymond
What matters for simplicity is that there's not interleaving.
— Rich Hickey
Can you recall any challenging Project, Software development initiative, or significant piece of work that encountered Intractable Problems or Elusive Opportunities?
- How did they manifest themselves?
- What impact did they have?
- How were they addressed or navigated?
#Management
#Leadership
#WaysOfWorking
#ProjectManagement
#ProductManagement
#Complexity
#Problems
#Opportunities
#ComplexityThinking
#Python: Malicious #PyPI Packages Stole #Cloud #Tokens—Over 14,100 Downloads Before Removal
https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/malicious-pypi-packages-stole-cloud.html
#Computational #Complexity theory studies the resources, like time and memory, required to solve computational problems.
It classifies problems based on their inherent difficulty, helping us understand the limits and capabilities of algorithms.
https://knowledgezone.co.in/posts/Algorithmic-Complexity-621cc78b26d1303d47eefae4
#Design #Challenges
Simplification takes courage · “Simplicity isn’t the absence of complexity, but rather complexity resolved.” https://ilo.im/162y5c
_____
#Decisions #Clarity #Simplicity #Complexity #ProductDesign #UxDesign #UiDesign #WebDesign
There is an upcoming conference on the topic of #Anarchism and #Complexity
https://clea.research.vub.be/complex-anarchism-symposium-19-23-may-2025-in-brussels
Reducing CSS Complexity With the “:is()” Pseudo-Class, by @cferdinandi:
https://gomakethings.com/reducing-css-complexity-with-the-is-pseudo-class/