More than 20 years ago, Tony Hoare go this one nailed down. In his book
Communicating Sequential Processes, he talks about a rendezvous between
processes, rather than sending messages. He correctly (IMO) identified
that the critical concept is one of two threads of activity coming to a
mutual understanding of a common event.
This is also a nice way of thinking about service consumers interacting
with a service -- a rendezvous is inherently more neutral than using a
service, offering a service etc. etc.
Frank
On Apr 15, 2005, at 5:54 AM, Anders W. Tell wrote:
> Duane Nickull wrote:
>
>> One thing I have trouble with is the use of words like "send" WRT to
>> an electronic message. Is anything really sent? No - all that
>> happens is the voltage at one end point is switched on and off
>> several times and the other side detects the voltage switches.
>> Nothing is actually sent from one place to another. Can someone
>> actually "receive" an electronic message?
>
>
> What about defining Send as the process/acts of making information
> available to another entity. And Receive, the act by which a reciver
> ensures that this information ultimatly is made available (when
> receive acts culminates or completes)?
>
> By looking at serviece related regulations, the event that corresponds
> to when a information/service "is available for processing/acts", is
> of key importance.
>
> turning on the philosophical mode.
> /anders
>
>
