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Load new problem, new program into memory, and forget what you were last doing. I used to say that being a great programmer was being a professional forgetter

Load new problem, new program into memory, and forget what you were last doing. I used to say that being a great programmer was being a professional forgetter -- in that you had to know how to forget vital details without getting yourself hurt. So, like a professional tumbler, or a stunt-person specializing in falls. It isn't about the falling. Anyone can fall. It's the expert who can fall without getting hurt. If you structure code correctly, you can forget about all the details you need to know to keep from getting hurt, but rediscover those things quickly when you need them. This is a great way to talk about program design in a nutshell, but it's also a terrible way, since it's prone to make people with short attention spans think you're nuts!

s-shellfish 8y ago
I agree with this. I wouldn't call it people with short attention spans though. People have to arrive at their own understanding independently in order to be able to know that understanding is their own. But that's also a problem, because once you get there, how do you check it's the right understanding? Check with other people, check with code. And then, it loops - argue with people to prove distinction - code distinctly, come to awareness independently - 'perfect' program, check with other people, check with code... Code & computer science, etc. It is all insanity. Structured insanity, but insanity nevertheless.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  People have to arrive at their own understanding independently in order to be able to know that understanding is their own. Far too many managers in the 90's and early 2000's simply thought they needed to hire super-memorizers who just knew everything, like they're characters out of a movie. I'm not so sure this has changed in 2018. Work smarter, not harder.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
jiaweihli 8y ago
> It's the expert who can fall without getting hurt. This is great, I'm definitely using this analogy in the future.

s-shellfish 8y ago

I agree with this. I wouldn't call it people with short attention spans though. People have to arrive at their own understanding independently in order to be able to know that understanding is their own. But that's also a problem, because once you get there, how do you check it's the right understanding? Check with other people, check with code. And then, it loops - argue with people to prove distinction - code distinctly, come to awareness independently - 'perfect' program, check with other people, check with code... Code & computer science, etc. It is all insanity. Structured insanity, but insanity nevertheless.

stcredzero 8y ago
People have to arrive at their own understanding independently in order to be able to know that understanding is their own. Far too many managers in the 90's and early 2000's simply thought they needed to hire super-memorizers who just knew everything, like they're characters out of a movie. I'm not so sure this has changed in 2018. Work smarter, not harder.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

jiaweihli 8y ago

> It's the expert who can fall without getting hurt. This is great, I'm definitely using this analogy in the future.