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In the same way that a chainsaw really is still a beautiful tool.
by acidbaseextract 10y ago
In the same way that a chainsaw really is still a beautiful tool.
- abraae 10y agoWhat an inspired sentiment. I love C (well I used to last time I used it), and I love chainsaws too.
- nkurz 10y agoNo, C is more like a chef's knife. It will take your finger off if used wrong, it never should be used as a screwdriver, but in trained hands it's a precise tool for the right job. It's C++ that is more like a chainsaw: a noisy, smelly, clattering but effective tool, dangerous without modern protective gear, and an equally poor choice for tightening screws.
- steveklabnik 10y agoHere's a fun blog post about this particular analogy: https://www.schneems.com/2016/08/16/sharp-tools.html https://www.schneems.com/2016/08/16/sharp-tools.html
- nkurz 10y agoWonderful article, thanks! Looks like it hasn't been discussed yet, so I submitted it here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13092740 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13092740. One of the things that I like about the chef's knife is that if you hold it correctly (http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/knife-skills-how-to-hold-a-knife.html http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/knife-skills-how-to-hold-...) the deep blade gives you both control and increased safety. People often think the bigger the knife the more dangerous, but often the opposite is true. Chainsaws on the other hand scare me despite their utility, possibly because my grandfather (a very experienced chainsaw user) had a horrendous scar across his neck and face from being stitched back together after an unexpected kickback.