Response 3

RESPONSE TO "AS WE MAY THINK"

QUESTIONS:

1. Does complexity continue to be synonymous with unreliability?
2. Is there a way to effectively bridge the gap between specialization and the usability/ understandability of this specialized information?
3. What would Bush’s opinion of the internet be? Would he consider it helpful in bridging the gap?

Response-question 1

Bush suggests that complexity, in recent times, was often thought to be synonymous with unreliability. The more complex a machine or advancement, the less a person could depend upon it. Is that the case in the modern world? Are the increasingly complex ideas and technologies that we develop more and more unreliable? I believe that more often than not, this idea hold true.

Take the English language, for example. Throughout grade school, we are often taught by our teachers that English is the most complex language of the world. Furthermore, we realize that with this complexity, the teachings that we are provided become less and less reliable and inclusive. Each rule or aspect of the language that we are taught has multiple exceptions. For example, the rule that the letter “I” precedes the letter “E” in a word where both are used connectedly does not stand when both are preceded by the letter “C”. Many of the rules of grammar, spelling, and organization are simply not reliable. The rules that you learn can not always be applied. If they are always applied, they will undoubtedly be used incorrectly at some point, making them unreliable.

Bush suggests later that many modern machines including the typewriter, the automobile and the movie camera are fairly reliable regardless of their complexity. This may be true in some aspect, yet false in others. The machine may function correctly the majority of the time and therefore be considered reliable. However, if and when that machine does malfunction, however rare that may be, it is a complex problem.

Complexity in one regard of a machine adds complexity to all aspects of that machine. If the design of a machine is complex, the operation and maintenance of that machine become increasingly complex as well. Maintenance of an automobile is often unreliable due to the automobile’s complexity. If the car breaks down, it is far more complicated to identify the cause of the problem than it would be to identify the reason for a less complex machine’s malfunction. Is it the battery? The fluids? If so, which fluid(s)? Gas? Is it a problem with the engine? If so, which part of the many that make up the engine?

This complexity of the machine leads to complexity in maintenance of that machine and consequently to its unreliability. A master mechanic may have been educated on every tiny morsel of that car, yet may still remain unable to identify the problem due to the complex nature of its design.

Complexity can indeed be considered synonymous with unreliability in various instances. Increased complexity leads to increased opportunity for one of the many parts to malfunction.