Open source? -> Need to read source to model?

[James Odell]

Rick Riolo writes:

>If I recall correctly, one of the original ideas behind
>Swarm was to come up with a system that would make it
>easier for biologists, economists, anthropologists, political
>scientists, etc, to do experiments with agent-based models.
>Part of the idea was that these people are not
>professional computer programmers, and never will be, and
>to the extent they have to get in and get dirty with source
>codes is a mis-use of their comparative advantage,
>ie., they are spending time 'programming' (in the broad
>sense of that activity, which includes reading complex source 
>codes) instead of being biologists, economists or whatever.   
[snip]

I agree with Rick.  In most business applications, business 
experts are not good programmers and good programmers do not 
usually understand the business very well.  Instead of spending 
years cross-training business experts to be good programmers (or 
visa-versa), perhaps these experts can express their 
requirements--and even develop basic designs--using graphical and
"natural" language models.  Then, with these models in place, the
programmers can write the code--returning again to the expert to 
test the application.  
        For the last 20 years, I have found that this approach 
works well with standard IT applications if I have the right 
modeling tools: i.e., those modelling languages that can 
adequately express the expert's requirements in a way that is 
readily understood by the expert.  Now, in the CAS and agent 
application world, I am finding similar results.  Business 
experts can and are expressing their required systems in 
agent-based models--without "getting in and getting dirty with 
source
code."  Programmers are taking these models and writing Swarm 
code.  The resulting simulation is then tested with the expert.
        So my conclusion?  IMO, Swarm programming skills are both
required and not required depending on project role; i.e., when:
1) The business expert is using the agent-based modelling 
techniques that adequately express her/his requirements, and
2) the programmer can turn these models into running simulations 
that correctly reflect the expert's requirements.

Does this make sense?


Jim Odell
www.jamesodell.com


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