Let's agree that re-inventing the wheel makes one more experienced, and also that it helps understanding things better. I believe that this distinction is what

Let's agree that re-inventing the wheel makes one more experienced, and also that it helps understanding things better. I believe that this distinction is what makes one a good/true programmer, compared to just lego play. Edit: Also, I disagree that re-inventing the wheel is just busywork. Compare a programmer that just uses .sort() and another one that uses .sort() and implemented his own sort (disregarding the fact that he is not using his own sort) and really understands the math behind it. Which one would you rely on?