connectors, and the whole thrust of their
A glance at that graph shouted “Too
EPL Server isn’t intended to replace oth-
book (and of the patterns they present) is
Much Information,” so I went back a step
er programming languages, but to inter-
connecting. It’s all about design patterns
and trimmed down the favoriteWords list
face with them and to simplify a small set
for effecting change in groups.
to just the most common ones, testing dif-
of tasks. The model is designed to:
To a comedian, everything looks like a
ferent parameters to get a readable graph.
straight line, and if all you have is a ham-
And so on. Before the weekend was over,
• Monitor information across multiple ap-
mer, every problem looks like a nail. So
I had built a statistical “Programming
plications.
naturally, these born networkers argue for
Paradigms” column generator. I was re-
• Filter irrelevant data.
solving the problem of introducing change
lieved to see that my Mathematica skills
• Detect actionable changes in patterns
into groups by their preferred method of
aren’t good enough that I can replace my-
and trends.
working to recruit others to your cause,
self as a columnist.
• Notify applications when events occur.
rather than by the time-honored technique
There’s nothing here that couldn’t be
of core- dumping every detail of your
done in any other language, and in some
What’s new about EPL is not the tech-
brainstorm onto everyone within three feet
languages it could doubtless be done just
nology, which is familiar. Other compa-
of you and stomping out of the room in
as succinctly. But Mathematica is power-
nies and industry groups are working on
a huff when the clueless losers don’t im-
fully interactive and operates at a symbolic
standards and technologies for business
mediately get it.
level that can be exploited to do surpris-
event processing. As reported on Cnet’s
To each his or her own? Yes, but some-
ing things. And its own vocabulary is very
Builder.com.com, KnowNow has devel-
times their own works better than our
deep: If the quick-and-dirty code I wrote
oped similar software to send data to
own; and those least like us have the most
proved inefficient, I could have spent a
many destinations based on an event. Ef-
to teach us, if we are open to learning
http://www.ddj.com
Dr. Dobb’s Journal, February 2005
67
from them. As a natural loner, I find that reminded of things we have already
the power of guerrilla movements. Their
this book speaks only to that underde-
learned, we would never make the same
book shows little respect for the structures
veloped social lobe of my brain, but the
mistake twice. Familiar information, pre-
of power, except as obstacles to get
question is: How well does it do that? Pret-
sented in a systematic way, can be very
around or weaknesses to exploit. As I said,
ty well, I think, on balance, but for those
useful if that system works for you.
Machiavellian.
of us whose need is great, there is a de-
Is that the case with this book? You’ll
“How do I sell my executive team on
sign pattern to help. The authors refer-
have to decide. The book consists of a
doing this stuff?” they ask, and, quoting
ence it on page 253:
collection of patterns, each described in
consultant Jim Highsmith, they answer,
“Don’t. Just do it. They don’t know what
Teach yourself to play a role so that ob-
servers believe you are extroverted, bold,
you’re doing anyway.” That’s also a recipe
and outgoing. Teach yourself to recognize
for resisting change: The authors describe
the situations in which this role is appro-
the powerful passive resistance that Car-
priate and to gather your resources and
ly Fiorina met when she tried to impose
play the role. http://csis.pace.edu/~bergin/
top-down changes at HP.
“Individuals are
patterns/introvertExtrovert.html.
The book freely acknowledges that
It’s just one of the places in the book
people are not rational, that we use facts
more powerful than
where a subversive, Machiavellian tone
to justify emotionally-arrived-at decisions.
comes through. I like that.
It then presents techniques for getting
institutions”
things done anyway, despite this funda-
Book-Reading Patterns
mental irrationality, by the use of proven
I don’t know why no one has yet come
patterns.
up with a set of design patterns for read-
Whether the things you get done are
ing books. It’s such a common activity,
rational or not is another question.
and so often poorly done. Think how
Okay, that’s it for this month. Thanks
much time you would have saved by now
about three pages, plus 12 chapters dis-
for reading.
if you’d had a few good book-reading
cussing a philosophy of organizational
patterns like the following:
change and describing how to use the pat-
DDJ
terns, plus four case studies, including
• Ignore Pages Numbered in Roman Nu-