Abstract :
I read an article proposing that software engineering is an attempt to merge two opposing themes. Paraphrasing a bit, I would call the first theme a discipline of completeness; the second is freedom of creation. The two disciplines are overviewed. The discipline of completeness is a willingness and ability to search for and deal not just with every conceivable mode of failure but with as many inconceivable modes as you can find through exploration and testing. The opposing theme is freedom of creation, as in: If you are not a highly creative person, why in the world are you writing software?.
