Re: not enough real programmers? (was Re: Byte Magazine: 18 Vintage issues, 1985-1986)

[hshubs@mindspring.com (Howard S Shubs)]

In article <xlxu2q9x13g.fsf@gold.cis.ohio-state.edu>, Matt Curtin
<cmcurtin@interhack.net> wrote:

>"Geek programmers" who customize their environments, in my experience, 
>tend to maximize the tools that they have available, and as a result
>are more productive than those who don't.  It's rare that someone who
>can't figure out how to navigate his way around an environment can
>make skillful use of it.

A person who knows how to "navigate", as you call it, doesn't need to
modify the environment.


>Those who in it for the hack tend to be the best and most focused
>programmers.  This is especially true when dealing with languages that 
>have emerged from the open source community or have strong ties to it: 
>Perl, Python, Lisp, etc.

They also tend to be young.  Some of us have gotten to the point where
enough stuff has been thrown at us that we know that there's more to life
than computers, hacking, and pizza.


>Your AOL-style "LOL" indicates that you not only fail to understand
>the significance of open source, but you do not understand the
>difference between "without cost" and "open source".  One needn't work 
>sans pay in order to make one's source code available.

Nothing quite like an ad hominum attack.  LOL predates AOL, is used in
TONS of other places.

WRT "Open Source" and "sans pay", that's true, but it's at the behest of
the company paying you, not at your own.  Open Source is a good thing in
the long term, but most of us have to pay the rent in the short term.  You
might consider joining RMS in his unending quest for the eternal Free
Software grail.

Just because it's Open Source doesn't mean it's -good quality- code, nor
that it's particularly useful.


>You Windoze guys crack me up.  Not only do not get it, but you laugh

I don't touch Windows, me self.
-- 
Howard S Shubs      hshubs@mindspring.com    hshubs@bix.com
The Denim Adept     Is this the right room for an argument?
SPAM: uce@ftc.gov   postmaster@[127.0.0.1]   abuse@[127.0.0.1]