Software Engineering Experimentation What is Knowledge ? Jeff Offutt

Knowledge is not Wisdom © Jeff Offutt, Where is the wisdom we lost in knowledge ? Where is the knowledge we lost in information ? – T. S. Eliot We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men’s wisdom – Montaigne To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe – Marilyn Vos Savant

Knowledge is Valuable © Jeff Offutt, The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty – James Madison, 4 th US President They know enough who know how to learn – Henry Adams, American historian and scholar The person who knows how will always have a job The person who knows why will be that person’s boss – Dr. Linwood Rose, President James Madison University

How do We Get Knowledge? Where do we get knowledge ? How do we separate knowledge from facts ? How do we separate facts from claims ? © Jeff Offutt,

Thoughts from Robert A. Heinlein : Expanded Universe Truth = Pravda –Pravda was the Soviet’s newspaper –It is also the Russian word for truth Marxist / Leninism –Truth is whatever is best for the state Democracy –Truth is whatever we can get away with, given the checks of the opposition party, free press, and educated citizens - all who want to prove that we are big fat liars © Jeff Offutt,

Truth = Pravda Real Life Truth Collision –The little girl who sang “Ode to the Motherland” in the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony lip-synched –“The reason was for the national interest,” said Chen Qigang, the ceremony's musical director –“The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression.... Lin Miaoke is excellent in those aspects.” –That is, they had one cute girl and one girl who could sing This is pure capitalist-style marketing ! © Jeff Offutt,

Truth = Pravda Thailand –Truth is what we want to hear (politeness preempts facts) Japan –Truth is what yields the least conflict Truthiness –What should be true (Stephen Corbert) © Jeff Offutt, Science: All the facts with no distortion

What About YOU ? What is your background ? What is your preconditioning ? Can you overcome your bad habits to become scientists ? © Jeff Offutt,

The Point of This Class © Jeff Offutt, This is not “Chinese vs American” culture This is truth versus fiction, seeing the world as it really is This class will help you to see all the facts with no distortion This actually has very little to do with software engineering

History of This Class I’ve been teaching this class for almost 20 years –I’ve seen a lot of changes in software engineering and computing –We take experimentation much more seriously –Our experiments are much better –And published more widely But the essentials have not changed –What’s changed is more people understand and use them I published my first experimental paper in 1988 –I wouldn’t accept it now—expectations are higher –In fact, I would not accept the experimental part of my dissertation from one of you I know more © Jeff Offutt, You know more !