I've noticed the limitation of natural language frequently. Sometimes, its just the inability of natural language to deal with levels of abstraction precisely. Sometimes, its the large assumed domain context that accompanies the use of natural language when describing procedures.
I had clients once where both of these limitations prevented us from being able to produce a product for them. They where incredibly successful Wall Street types. They wanted a software system written that would automate some of what they did. They were traders, but not interested in high velocity trading. After a weeks of meetings about high level goals, we had a meeting to finally get down to specifics about the procedures and functionality that they wanted. They simply couldn't describe in precise language what they did! They had been doing it for years and years very successfully, but we couldn't help them because they couldn't describe what they did. It was very odd.
They worked with sophisticated mathematical models and strange rules of thumb, the morning news, and the perceived level of activity on the exchange floor. Some of them used fancy interactive graphs while others relied on a simple printout of a spreadsheet full of numbers.
The universe they worked in was very complex and involved decision making that, apparently, was hard to describe in words. Imaging a world class boxer trying to put into words the algorithm that he used to win a match. It was a bit like that.
I had clients once where both of these limitations prevented us from being able to produce a product for them. They where incredibly successful Wall Street types. They wanted a software system written that would automate some of what they did. They were traders, but not interested in high velocity trading. After a weeks of meetings about high level goals, we had a meeting to finally get down to specifics about the procedures and functionality that they wanted. They simply couldn't describe in precise language what they did! They had been doing it for years and years very successfully, but we couldn't help them because they couldn't describe what they did. It was very odd.
They worked with sophisticated mathematical models and strange rules of thumb, the morning news, and the perceived level of activity on the exchange floor. Some of them used fancy interactive graphs while others relied on a simple printout of a spreadsheet full of numbers.
The universe they worked in was very complex and involved decision making that, apparently, was hard to describe in words. Imaging a world class boxer trying to put into words the algorithm that he used to win a match. It was a bit like that.