Small matter of programming: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:47, 17 March 2019

Revision as of 17:49, 17 March 2019

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The IBM Jargon Dictionary<ref>[https://comlay.net/ibmjarg.pdf SMOP] IBM Jargon Dictionary, Tenth Edition 1990</ref> defines it as:

:'''SMOP''' (''smop'') ''n.'' Something quite possible, but requiring unavailable resources to achieve. "Why isn't that function available in the program?" − "It's just a Simple Matter Of Programming". (The implication being that, given a few person-centuries, all things are possible.) Also '''SMOUP''' (''(smoop)''), a Simple Matter Of Micro-Programming (if handwritten, using a Greek mu). See also ''how hard would it be.''

SMOP was among the "games" described in an article as paralleling the ''[[Games People Play (book)|Games People Play]]'' identified by Dr. [[Eric Berne]] in the field of self-help psychology.<ref>{{Citation | last = Shedley | first = Ethan I. | title = [[Big System Games]] | magazine = [[Datamation]] | volume = 17 | issue = 7 | pages = 22–25 | publisher = Technical Publishing Company, 1301 South Grove Ave., Barrington, Illinois 60010 | date = April 1, 1971 }}</ref> The game essentially consists of proposing seemingly simple adjustments to a design, leading to unexpected consequences and delays.