"the fly" > wrote
> This concern has been answered eloquently by a contributor
to
> these newsgroups a few years ago. Sorry I can't name the
author, but
> that person hit the nail squarely on the head with these
words:
>
> ".........more importantly than that, you've got to have
the
> insight and wisdom to know when something has been
developed to the
> point where further development amounts to pointless
engineering
> masturbation.
>
> "The hydraulic brake system is a textbook model of
development
> to perfection. So was the hydromechanical automatic
transmission --

Ya, so was the horse and buggy, the bicycle, etc.

> computerisation of the automatic transmission has taken
away
> three-for-one in durability, dependability and cost of
repair what
> little it has given us. We know how to make steering
systems that work
> and essentially never give trouble. There is, therefore,
no valid
> reason for steer-by-wire."

This reminds me of Bill Gates comment a few decades ago that
no one should ever need more than 64k of RAM on his/her
computer.

What you quote is incredibly short-sighted. It demonstrates
a lack of willingness to do any kind of investigation of why
fly-by-wire was considered. In short, these are the words
not of an engineer, scientist, or technical person but a
ninny, and a ninny tired of having more demanded of him for
his labors, at that.

He's happy with the status quo. Others are not. He should
get out of the business or certainly never enter it.