Autonomic Computing

Cartoons Are Simple

We should admire the profession of cartooning. Cartoonists are daily faced with the challenge of making all sorts of readers smile and laugh by delivering an image and text in a simple, direct fashion. I suggest that they do this by using a simplified approach.

1. Cartoonists use simple language and images. Through its use of parable, a cartoon must speak to a wide audience.

2. Cartoonists focus on the basics. A cartoon strips the topic down to its bare essentials without clouding them in detail. The philosophy is that while the details may be important, they can always come later by reading about it elsewhere. Nonetheless, they won't be worth anything if the fundamentals are not understood first.

3. Cartoonists do not think for us. ...