2 ms·

This is a decent analogy, but still I cringe whenever I hear someone comparing computer languages to spoken ones. They are nothing alike, and I would be honest

This is a decent analogy, but still I cringe whenever I hear someone comparing computer languages to spoken ones. They are nothing alike, and I would be honestly surprised if we even used the same part of our brain for processing the grammars of human languages as we do for the rigid, formal computer ones. If this were true, how come not all great programmers are great writers? Why don't more great programmers become fluent in other spoken languages?

parfe 15y ago
>If this were true, how come not all great programmers are great writers? Why don't more great programmers become fluent in other spoken languages? Why doesn't Mark Twain have any novels written in French? Why would you hold computer programmers to a greater standard than any of the great authors?
skidooer 15y ago
> how come not all great programmers are great writers? I imagine most programmers are great writers from a structural point of view. The rest is emotion. Programmers know how to appeal to machines, but often are not able to connect with people in the same way; something that extends beyond writing, if stereotypes are any indication.