Who's the boss?

My take on Moore's law is quite clearly not the law itself, but rather a popularized, non-professional, rendition of it. It is, however, pretty much what other non-professionals understand when they think of a formulation of the law, and I think it can hold. It's still a long way from Humpty Dumpty's take on how words get to mean what they mean:

"And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!"

"I don't know what you mean by 'glory,'" Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't - till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'."

"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."

"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master -- that's all."

This particular quote shows up over 70 times on the web, sometimes in scientific settings, but mostly as some sort of social commentary. It has even appeared previously in the Boidem, though only in a rather roundabout way. Interestingly, it's a direct continuation from the last time I quoted Through the Looking Glass.

Go to: The letter of the law, or
Go to: Me and Moore's Law.