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And a good example in the comments here is how few people are talking about what the article is actually about (human behaviour) but instead there's mostly anti
by jordigh 9y ago
And a good example in the comments here is how few people are talking about what the article is actually about (human behaviour) but instead there's mostly anti-C++ reactions. The aversion to C++ is so strong that an article that only casually is about C++ must be attacked for the perceived C++ advocacy. The article isn't really about C++ advocacy at all.
It really doesn't matter if C++ is better or not. The article doesn't really even try to talk much about that at all. No matter what C++ may do, what it may change, what it may improve, how it may perform, how it can be simplified; it's almost impossible to convince C programmers to try C++ (or golang, or Rust, or D).
The article really is about how it's almost impossible to change someone's mind on any topic. Anyone who likes to engage in internet discussions is well aware of the phenomenon.
- Sean1708 9y agoTo be honest the article's kind of bullshit regardless of what angle you view it from. Some of my favourite parts are: > the fundamental energy that underlies and is responsible for the universe is consciousness. So consciousness is inherently logical. > Since humans are a part of the universe ... humans are also logical or rational by nature. > We’re born with the need for sexual satisfaction, yet society teaches us ... to suppress and even repress our sexuality. This is one of the most important seeds for irrational thinking that gets planted into our minds. There's enough pseudo-scientific bullshit on the rest of this person's site that I'm very wary of drawing any conclusions from this article.
- haberman 9y agoThe article is a 4,000 word diatribe about how stubborn, irrational people refuse to see reason, without at any point admitting the possibility that these backward, incorrigible C holdouts could be right in any way.
- jordigh 9y agoIt's not about C holdouts being unreasonable at all. They're only mentioned in the first three paragraphs of the article. The article isn't about C or C++. It's about why you and I are arguing right now: we're both irrational.
- haberman 9y ago> It's not about C holdouts being unreasonable at all. They're only mentioned in the first three paragraphs of the article. That's not true; they are mentioned several times in the first big bullet list. Also the Dan Saks talk he discusses several times throughout the article is specifically about talking to C programmers about C++. But regardless of whether he is speaking about something specific (C vs. C++) or in the abstract (rational vs. irrational people), he is making the same flawed presumption: that certain choices (like C++) are unquestionably better than other choices (like C), and that if people can't see this then the only possible explanation is some kind of cognitive impairment. The whole argument presumes that the author is smarter and more rational than other people. He might not even realize he is doing this, but other people can most definitely pick up on it.
- jordigh 9y ago> The whole argument presumes that the author is smarter Aha, so that's why everyone is posting comments about how terrible C++ is. The author is coming across like an ass, so we must attack that which he appears to be defending: C++. I don't really pick up on the bad attitude (probably because I have it too), and I don't really care that much to defend C++ or C. I went through the article, noted a few references to whatever psychological studies were there, and decided to read those later. I don't really care if C or C++ is "better". I barely use either anymore.
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