TechNews wrote:
"Linus Torvalds Outburst Sparks Fierce Debate: Does Open Source
Software
Need Specs?"
SYS-CON (10/03/05)
In a recent posting on the Linux Kernel Mailing List, Linus Torvalds
blasted specs as a method for developing software, claiming they
pay more
attention to theory than reality and introduce a needless level of
abstraction that often falls flat when put into practice. Torvalds
cited
the OSI network model protocols, which he characterized as "classic
spec-design, which had absolutely zero relevance for the real
world." He
admitted that specs could serve as a useful framework for
discussion, but
that they should have no bearing on the actual design. Feedback to
Torvalds' posting was varied, as some immediately took him to task,
insisting that specs, like actual code, were by definition
approximations,
while others supported his view that their use is limited. One
respondent
noted that many original Unix specs were quite good, while later
standards
such as HTML and SOAP were well-written, but ultimately functioned
poorly
due to sloppy designs. One post criticized Torvalds for being too
narrow
his definition, claiming that his view of a spec as an unchanging
template
incapable of adapting throughout the development process is not
held by
anyone in the industry. Another reader claimed specs are essential to
commercial projects, as they serve essentially as a contract,
defining the
scope and function of a given body of code. By way of mediation, one
respondent sought to clarify Torvalds' position by arguing against the
misconception that programs can be written through the progressive