Free Essays on Extreme Programming

HISTORY and DEFINITION XP is the abbreviation, or 2-letter acronym for Extreme Programming. XP is a type of software methodology that is used today in the field of software development. â€Å"Extreme Programming is a discipline of software development with the values of simplicity, communication, feedback and courage. We focus on the roles of the customer, manager, and programmer and accord key rights and responsibilities to those in those roles.† (Jeffries). About four years ago, many software developers in the industry were frustrated with the â€Å"heavy† methodologies that were being used. They were so complex and time consuming that many of the projects they were undertaking seemed almost unattainable. This is when the paradigm in thinking switched from â€Å"heavy† methodologies to the â€Å"lightweight† methodologies. (sdmagazine article) XP is an example of a â€Å"lightweight† methodology. It simplifies the process and also involves the customer. Both of these elements help to ensure successful projects. The customer is involved throughout the process and the project is also broken down into smaller attainable steps or goals that will aide the developer in completing the project. Not only is this plan simplistic in nature but it also allows for change throughout the process. XP is unlike other methodologies where change is considerably difficult, or almost impossible, after a certain point in the project. XP may also be used on both high and low risk projects. It factors in some risk analysis during the release-planning phase that will take into account weather the developer is working with confident or uncertain estimates. â€Å"XP empowers your developers to confidently respond to changing customer requirements, even late in the life cycle.† (Wells). Not only is XP a more simplified approach, it is also flexible in more ways than one. Software developers can change to the entire XP approach o... Free Essays on Extreme Programming Free Essays on Extreme Programming HISTORY and DEFINITION XP is the abbreviation, or 2-letter acronym for Extreme Programming. XP is a type of software methodology that is used today in the field of software development. â€Å"Extreme Programming is a discipline of software development with the values of simplicity, communication, feedback and courage. We focus on the roles of the customer, manager, and programmer and accord key rights and responsibilities to those in those roles.† (Jeffries). About four years ago, many software developers in the industry were frustrated with the â€Å"heavy† methodologies that were being used. They were so complex and time consuming that many of the projects they were undertaking seemed almost unattainable. This is when the paradigm in thinking switched from â€Å"heavy† methodologies to the â€Å"lightweight† methodologies. (sdmagazine article) XP is an example of a â€Å"lightweight† methodology. It simplifies the process and also involves the customer. Both of these elements help to ensure successful projects. The customer is involved throughout the process and the project is also broken down into smaller attainable steps or goals that will aide the developer in completing the project. Not only is this plan simplistic in nature but it also allows for change throughout the process. XP is unlike other methodologies where change is considerably difficult, or almost impossible, after a certain point in the project. XP may also be used on both high and low risk projects. It factors in some risk analysis during the release-planning phase that will take into account weather the developer is working with confident or uncertain estimates. â€Å"XP empowers your developers to confidently respond to changing customer requirements, even late in the life cycle.† (Wells). Not only is XP a more simplified approach, it is also flexible in more ways than one. Software developers can change to the entire XP approach o...

Observations on What Is Language

Observations on What Is Language Language- more specifically human language- refers to the grammar and other rules and norms that allow humans to make utterances and sounds in a way that others can understand, notes linguist  John McWhorter, an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University. Or as Guy Deutscher said in his seminal work, The Unfolding of Language:  An Evolutionary Tour of Mankinds Greatest Invention, language is what makes us human. Discovering what is language, then, requires a brief look at its origins, its evolution through the centuries, and its central role in human existence and evolution. Greatest Invention If language is mankinds greatest invention, it is supremely ironic that it was actually never invented. Indeed, both Deutscher  and McWhorter, two of the worlds most renowned linguists, say the origin of language remains as much as mystery today as it was in biblical times. No one, says Deutscher, has come up with a better explanation than the tale of the  Tower of Babel,  one of the saddest and most significant stories in the Bible. In the biblical fable, God- seeing that people of the earth had become skilled in construction and had decided to build an  idolatrous tower, indeed an entire city, in ancient  Mesopotamia  that stretched to the heavens- infused the human race with a myriad of tongues so that they could no longer communicate, and could no longer build a massive edifice that would replace the almighty. If the tale is apocryphal, its meaning is not, as Deutscher notes: Language often seems so skilfully drafted that one can hardly imagine it as anything other than the perfected handiwork of a master craftsman. How else could this instrument make so much out of three dozen measly morsels of sound? In themselves, these configurations of the mouth- But, if you run these sounds through the cogs and wheels of the language machine, says Deutscher, arrange them in some special way and define how they are be ordered by rules of  grammar, you suddenly have language, something that an entire group of people can understand and use to communicate- and indeed to function and a viable society. Chomskyan Linguistics If languages mysterious origin sheds little light on its meaning, it can be helpful to turn to Western societys most renowned- and even controversial- linguist: Noam Chomsky. Chomsky is so famous that an entire subfield of linguistics (the study of language) has been named after him. Chomskyian linguistics is a  broad term for the principles of  language  and the methods of language study introduced and/or popularized by Chomsky  in such groundbreaking works as Syntactic Structures  (1957) and Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (1965). But, perhaps Chomskys most relevant work for a discussion on language is his 1976 paper, On the Nature of Language. In it, Chomsky directly addressed the meaning of language in a way that foreshadowed the later assertions of  Deutscher  and McWhorter. The nature of language is considered as a function of knowledge attained...[T]he language faculty may be regarded as a fixed function, characteristic of the species, one component of the human mind, a function which maps experience into grammar. In other words, language is all at once a tool and the mechanism that determines how we relate to the world, to each other, and, even to ourselves. Language, as noted, is what makes us human. Expressions of Humanity Famed American poet and existentialist, Walt Whitman, said that language is the sum total of all that humans experience as a species: Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground. Language, then, is the sum of all human experience since the beginning of humankind. Without language, humans would be unable to express their feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires, and beliefs. Without language, there could be no society and possibly no religion. Even if Gods wrath at the building of the Tower of Babel led to a plethora of tongues throughout the world, the fact is that they are still tongues, languages that can be deciphered, studied, translated, written, and communicated. Computer Language As computers communicate with humans- and with each other- the meaning of language may soon change. Computers talk through the use of  programming language. Like human language, computer language is a system of grammar, syntax, and other rules that allow humans to communicate with their PCs, tablets, and smartphones, but also allows computers to communicate with other computers. As  artificial intelligence  continues to advance to a point where computers can communicate with each other without the intervention of humans, the very definition of language may need to evolve also. Language will still always be what makes us human, but it may also become the tool that allows machines to communicate, express needs and wants, issue directives, create, and produce through their own tongue. Language, would then, become something that was initially produced by humans but then evolves to a new system of communication- one that has little or no connection to human beings.

Nanna Ziggurat and Khafre's Pyramid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nanna Ziggurat and Khafre's Pyramid - Essay Example Similarly, the Nanna Ziggurat constructed during 2100-2050 BC in ancient Middle East or contemporary Iraq was dedicated as a place of worship or temple (Stokstad and Cothren 36). The Nanna Ziggurat and Khafre Pyramid, were constructed based on the conviction of celestial gods, nonetheless they served dissimilar functions. While Nanna Ziggurat was basically a temple, the Khafre pyramid acted as a funerary complex. The aim of this essay is to analyze the similarities and variations of the two monumental structures, and trying to show how both structures served symbolically as a link between the earth and heavens, or some form of eternal life linking room. This paper shows that even though both structures had a common function of acting as the bridge linking heaven and world, they had different connotation and composition in terms of being the center of convention for the people and their gods. Discussion First and foremost, both cultures were highly intelligent in terms of how they wen t about constructing the elaborate and enormous monuments. Nanna Ziggurat is situated in Ur, the capital of ancient Sumeria civilization or present day Iraq, on the banks of river Euphrates, while the Khafre pyramid was constructed in Giza, Egypt on the river Nile plateaus (Stokstad and Cothren 82). ... The river Nile played a crucial role during Egyptian civilization, and its yearly flooding was considered a miracle, consequently the Egyptians turned to religion to acquire a sense of security and everlasting life. That is why they constructed the pyramids as the Imperial symbol of supremacy and authority, since they considered their pharaohs as earthly form of their sun god Re who would then preserve their agrarian life from natural disaster (Stokstad and Cothren 52). The architecture and size of both Nanna Ziggurat and Khafre’s Pyramid are very dissimilar from one another, coupled with a huge variation in scale.  While the Nanna ziggurats is a large stepped structures with numerous temples and a shrine on top, the Khafre pyramid had a rectangular base with three platforms and stairs that converge on the first platform.  The Khafre’s Pyramid at Giza was a massive structure with a faultless pyramid shape and a square base. It has four oblique sides which perfectly meet up at a tip at the top.   However, both Nanna Ziggurat and Khafre’s Pyramid were not the outcome of rebuilding, but rather extensive and detailed constructions. The Nanna Ziggurat base covers roughly 28,905 square feet, in addition to being 100 feet tall.  On the other hand, the Khafre’s Pyramid had a base that covered 566,280 square feet with a height of roughly 471 feet (Stokstad and Cothren 56).   Khafre Pyramid The Nanna Ziggurats was erected using repetitive building, whereby the rubble from all construction was used as groundwork for the subsequent ones. Nevertheless, both monuments have slightly leaning walls that helps in shielding their foundations from flooding, but the Sumerians built Nanna Ziggurat using diverse materials, with the greater part being mud bricks. This helped