Comments on: LEGO Blocks, Software, Design Mentality, and Random Thoughts http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/ Jeff Nolan's take on innovation, entrepreneurship, tech and stuff that interests me Thu, 17 May 2012 21:05:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Music-Band http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-153001 Music-Band Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:36:55 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/#comment-153001 Hey I was surfing the web and i saw this site, pretty cool. Currently im running and adult site:<a href="http://www.vnvnation.biz/queries.html" rel="nofollow">Reachton</a> k, just want to say hi :) Can i link you from my site? im looking for quality content like yours. If no let me know if i can add u in exchange for a montly fee or something. Hey

I was surfing the web and i saw this site, pretty cool.
Currently im running and adult site:Reachton
k, just want to say hi :)
Can i link you from my site? im looking for quality content like yours. If no let me know if i can add u in exchange for a montly fee or something.

]]> By: » LEGO blocks and SOA: is the singularity near? | Service-Oriented Architecture | ZDNet.com http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-116318 » LEGO blocks and SOA: is the singularity near? | Service-Oriented Architecture | ZDNet.com Tue, 22 May 2007 22:33:14 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/#comment-116318 [...] Nolan also picked up on this singularity, and made some astute observations (does he make any other kind?) on our recent discussions and debates around the LEGO block-SOA [...] [...] Nolan also picked up on this singularity, and made some astute observations (does he make any other kind?) on our recent discussions and debates around the LEGO block-SOA [...]

]]> By: Thomas Otter http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-52249 Thomas Otter Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:11:26 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/#comment-52249 Hi Jeff, Maybe Lego has a subversive viral marketing campaign going. If we all talk about it in a work context then perhaps we will pop into the toyshop on the way home. Next there will be a gapingvoid drawing. Hi Jeff,
Maybe Lego has a subversive viral marketing campaign going. If we all talk about it in a work context then perhaps we will pop into the toyshop on the way home. Next there will be a gapingvoid drawing.

]]> By: Dennis Byron http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/comment-page-1/#comment-51950 Dennis Byron Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:58:47 +0000 http://jeffnolan.com/wp/2006/12/11/lego-blocks-software-design-mentality-and-random-thoughts/#comment-51950 Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I can add two cents to this string, one being a little probably meaningless historical background on the lego analogy and the second being my opinion on the root of the discussion/complaints in your various posts and links. First, I've been researching and trying to make analogies between information technology (IT) and more mundane things for over 35 years. One of the strings you link to is correct in saying that the lego analogy has been around since 1991. In fact, I first heard this lego analogy when Chris Stone was splitting off the Object Management Group into a separate organization from DG circa 1988/1989. If I was on Final Jeopardy, I'd guess the comparison came from some HP NewWave folks with their stub diagrams around that time or a little earlier. However. with a little research I also think we might discover that OO's and Lego's mutual Scandanavian ancestries are probably more than coincidence and the analogy probably goes back even further. Second, and more important, although "when" is just a good geek trivia question, "why" is the interesting one. The fact that legos are such a good and long-time analogy for objects is exactly why they are not a good one for services. Services to SAP are sets of business processes, IT functions, event interactions (e.g., RFID), and so forth that are "a level of abstraction above" (to use another great overused analyst phrase--guilty!). The services can be "automated" using a variety of different technologies including OO. And of course, that taxonomy raises a bigger issue: do others agree with that SAP definition of "services." I suspect the real reason a post such as yours and the others you reference can raise such a long interesting string of comments and rebuttals is that there is no agreement on the meaning of the key terms themselves (open source, service oriented architecture, enterprise service bus, component, object... even the term 'legacy"). The vendors have a vested interest in keeping the definitions loose so as to always claim they have the lastest, greatest whizbang. And those of us who analyze the IT industry make our reps inventing new terms. That makes it pretty hard to draw analogies. Thanks again. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I can add two cents to this string, one being a little probably meaningless historical background on the lego analogy and the second being my opinion on the root of the discussion/complaints in your various posts and links.

First, I’ve been researching and trying to make analogies between information technology (IT) and more mundane things for over 35 years. One of the strings you link to is correct in saying that the lego analogy has been around since 1991. In fact, I first heard this lego analogy when Chris Stone was splitting off the Object Management Group into a separate organization from DG circa 1988/1989. If I was on Final Jeopardy, I’d guess the comparison came from some HP NewWave folks with their stub diagrams around that time or a little earlier. However. with a little research I also think we might discover that OO’s and Lego’s mutual Scandanavian ancestries are probably more than coincidence and the analogy probably goes back even further.

Second, and more important, although “when” is just a good geek trivia question, “why” is the interesting one. The fact that legos are such a good and long-time analogy for objects is exactly why they are not a good one for services. Services to SAP are sets of business processes, IT functions, event interactions (e.g., RFID), and so forth that are “a level of abstraction above” (to use another great overused analyst phrase–guilty!). The services can be “automated” using a variety of different technologies including OO.

And of course, that taxonomy raises a bigger issue: do others agree with that SAP definition of “services.” I suspect the real reason a post such as yours and the others you reference can raise such a long interesting string of comments and rebuttals is that there is no agreement on the meaning of the key terms themselves (open source, service oriented architecture, enterprise service bus, component, object… even the term ‘legacy”). The vendors have a vested interest in keeping the definitions loose so as to always claim they have the lastest, greatest whizbang. And those of us who analyze the IT industry make our reps inventing new terms. That makes it pretty hard to draw analogies.

Thanks again.

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