TITLE: Today in "It's not the objects; it's the messages"
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: January 27, 2024  7:10 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
 Alan Kay is fond of saying that object-oriented programming is
 not about the objects; it's about the messages.  He also looks
 to the biological world for models of how to think about and
 write computer programs.

 This morning I read two things on the exercise bike that brought
 these ideas to mind, one from the animal kingdom and one from
 the human sphere.

 First was
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/25/how-invasive-ants-are-impeding-lions-hunt">
 a surprising little article
</a>
 on how an invasive ant species is making it harder for Kenyan
 lions to hunt zebras, with elephants playing a pivotal role in
 the story, too.  One of the scientists behind the study said:

<blockquote><em>
 "We often talk about conservation in the context of species.
 But it's the interactions which are the glue that holds the
 entire system together."
</em></blockquote>

 It's not just the animals.  It's the interactions.

 Then came
<a href="https://jessitron.com/2024/01/23/being-the-best/">
   @jessitron reflecting
</a>
 on what it means to be "the best":

<blockquote><em>
 And then I remembered: people are people through other people.
 Meaning comes from between us, not within us.
</em></blockquote>

 It's not just the people.  It's the interactions.

 Both articles highlighted that we are usually better served by
 thinking about interactions within systems, and not simply the
 components of system.  That way lies a more reliable approach to
 build robust software.  Alan Kay is probably somewhere nodding
 his head.

 The ideas in Jessitron's piece fit nicely into the software
 analogy, but they mean even more in the world of people that
 she is reflecting on.  It's easy for each of us to fall into
 the habit of walking around the world as an I and never quite
 feeling whole.  Wholeness comes from connection to others.  I
 occasionally have to remind myself to step back and see my day
 in terms of the students and faculty I've interacted with, whom
 I have helped and who have helped me.

 It's not (just) the people.  It's the interactions.
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