actually provides the loom. The subsequent set of laws that derive from it form one axis of social interaction, while a moderately regulated and very strongly supported enterprise market system provides the orthogonal axis. It seems reasonable to consider whether these foundational properties are related to a fertile environment for the innovation of computer systems, particularly computer software. So, we have suggested the metaphorical image of the loom, of the warp strands and of the woof strands; but, for the moment, we’ll defer the question just who the weaver is. Suffice it to recognize that from this seminal cloth has sprung a cyber-extension to the social fabric in the form of the Internet. In turn, the ubiquitous network has been further enhanced by its cognitive big brother, the World Wide Web. The Web reiterates a European invention that bloomed in the technology business environment set by the United States. More succinctly stated, we put forth the hypothesis that the two main components of the success within the United States of computer systems in general, and software systems specifically are a particular form of democracy and capitalism. If this is correct, it is natural to extend our hypothesis to the local development of protestant Christianity, the common thread to both social systems. It is important to understand that these harbingers to successful software are not based in genetic differences; to the extent of current research, there are no software genes; software jeans, perhaps. Many of the software companies created and flourishing in the United States are in fact developed by recent immigrants, who find in the country the ferment they need. Innovation and development derives from the social substrate of the society, and religion in all its guises is a principal characterization of this substrate.

One might rightly ask, “How can this be the case, when democracy is also subscribed to in other countries, which in many cases are under other than significant protestant Christianity influence?” For example, Japan adopted the concept of democracy from the West explicitly after the Meiji restoration, and extended it to a constitutionally based system during the Allied occupation following World War II. Certainly, Christianity was not and is not a dominant religious influence in Japan. And, we would note, while Japan has reached an eminent position in design, engineering and manufacturing of hardware systems, in particular, high quality hardware systems, it was not successful at taking the step to software dominance with its Fifth Generation endeavor in the eighties. Japan’s software prowess has been limited to games and aspects of robotics, with local development the norm. Another counter example that one might suggest is India. It is currently the world’s largest democracy; and, it is certainly noteworthy that India has an emerging position of significant strength in the computer software development world. However, at the present time, this strength builds largely upon services to the computer world of the United States, and not in the emergence of major computer and software product companies. The only two major software companies based outside the United States that have excelled in the past 40 years are French Dassault Systèmes (with their CATIA design program) and German SAP (with their business software). Even so, CATIA found its original expansion through IBM marketing in the seventies. This compares to hundreds of dominant computer and software companies in the United States during the same 40 years period. Finally, we need to mention the United Kingdom. A number of advances in computer science came from the UK, in particular in the theoretical realm, for example the seminal work of Alan Turing. Why is it that the UK didn’t develop a sizeable computer and software business? Is it in the name: Kingdom? If we observe that the Church of England is still under the ultimate direction of the Queen, and we compare it to the myriad of competing churches in the United States, might we understand how the equally competing situation of software businesses flourished in the market of ideas?

So, we wonder whether the convergence of a constitutional social union and an opportunistic business melee is the ferment on which computer systems and software products could optimally build. Reiterating that many computer-related ideas and innovative concepts, for example,

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