The Business of Manifestos

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 |

My short and brief research on manifestos started with my reading of the SOA Manifesto published in 2009. I have a couple of responses, one about the need for manifestos in software related causes and the SOA Manifesto in particular.

Let’s start with what I consider the comical side of software manifestos. In general manifestos first applied to political statements, serious political statements about what the authors considered life and death issues. Witness the short list below:

Manifesto of the Communist Party
Unabomber Manifesto

There’s also the Chipotle Mexican Grill Manifesto here.

Their juxtaposition certainly stretches the idea of what a manifesto is and who can use that particular form of expression. Like the term ‘Whitepaper’ it has taken a spectacular popularization of purpose.

Here are some links to software manifestos.

GNU Operating System Manifesto
Manifesto for Agile Software Development

The need for a SOA Manifesto is rationally explained by Thomas Erl here. But despite his reasonableness and the lucid principles expressed in the SOA Manifesto how can such a proclamation help business, P&L owners, understand the need for SOA? If SOA is for business then its primary expression should be directed to business leaders in business terms, no?

Does a SOA manifesto help here?

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