Book Seven
Thus spake the master programmer:
“You can demonstrate a program for a corporate
executive, but you can’t make him computer literate.”
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7.1
A novice asked the master: “In the east there is a great tree-structure
that men call ‘Corporate Headquarters’. It is bloated out of shape
with vice-presidents and accountants. It issues a multitude of memos,
each saying ‘Go, Hence!’ or ‘Go, Hither!’ and nobody knows what is
meant. Every year new names are put onto the branches, but all to no
avail. How can such an unnatural entity exist?”
The master replies: “You perceive this immense structure and are
disturbed that it has no rational purpose. Can you not take amusement
from its endless gyrations? Do you not enjoy the untroubled ease of
programming beneath its sheltering branches? Why are you bothered by
its uselessness?”
7.2
In the east there is a shark which is larger than all other fish. It
changes into a bird whose winds are like clouds filling the sky. When
this bird moves across the land, it brings a message from Corporate
Headquarters. This message it drops into the midst of the program-
mers, like a seagull making its mark upon the beach. Then the bird
mounts on the wind and, with the blue sky at its back, returns home.
The novice programmer stares in wonder at the bird, for he understands
it not. The average programmer dreads the coming of the bird, for he
fears its message. The master programmer continues to work at his
terminal, for he does not know that the bird has come and gone.
7.3
The Magician of the Ivory Tower brought his latest invention for the
master programmer to examine. The magician wheeled a large black box
into the master’s office while the master waited in silence.
“This is an integrated, distributed, general-purpose workstation,”
began the magician, “ergonomically designed with a proprietary
operating system, sixth generation languages, and multiple state of the
art user interfaces. It took my assistants several hundred man years
to construct. Is it not amazing?”
The master raised his eyebrows slightly. “It is indeed amazing,” he
said.
“Corporate Headquarters has commanded,” continued the magician, “that
everyone use this workstation as a platform for new programs. Do you
agree to this?”
“Certainly,” replied the master, “I will have it transported to the
data center immediately!” And the magician returned to his tower, well
pleased.
Several days later, a novice wandered into the office of the master
programmer and said, “I cannot find the listing for my new program. Do
you know where it might be?”
“Yes,” replied the master, “the listings are stacked on the platform in
the data center.”
7.4
The master programmer moves from program to program without fear. No
change in management can harm him. He will not be fired, even if the
project is canceled. Why is this? He is filled with the Tao.