Not pillow talk
Another chatlog with Neil. I think he makes a valid point, albeit not the one I was trying to discuss.
| Matt: | ah the old perceived complexity curve |
| Matt: | I encounter it a lot during design of a new API for something |
| Matt: | the task starts off seeming simple, then upon further thought and exploration, it becomes considerably more complex with several unanswered questions. Then, upon refining the idea still further, it becomes clear that the level of refinement has lead to discovering once again that it’s simpler than it seemed previously. |
| Neil: | yes, I’m familiar with it. |
| Matt: | the cycle can continue that way, of course, but eventually it narrows in on an average level of complexity which pretty much all non-trivial APIs share |
| Matt: | I find that fascinating |
| Matt: | it creates the proposition that expertise isn’t a superior ability to grasp complex concepts, but rather a high enough level of familiarity with the subject that the simplicity underlying the apparent complexity can be seen, and dealt with on that level. |
| Matt: | I guess nature/biology is the ultimate example. |
| Neil: | I bet you’re a barrel of laughs in the pub. |
| Matt: | and IN THE BEDROOM |
| Neil: | it’s more tragedy than comedy from what I hear |
| Matt: | I like to think there’s an intermediate genre |
| Neil: | romance |
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