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“Weird sense of superiority” is a very succinct way of describing most of PG’s takes on programming. I’m reminded of his argument about how “hackers” choose la

“Weird sense of superiority” is a very succinct way of describing most of PG’s takes on programming. I’m reminded of his argument about how “hackers” choose languages that let them type the fewest characters possible, an argument that seems empirically unfounded to me.

klipt 5y ago
> I’m reminded of his argument about how hackers choose languages that let them type the fewest characters possible Ah yes, just like real writers write in Ithkuil, a language constructed to maximize the meaning encoded per syllable.
toolslive 5y ago
Some of PGs arguments against static typing (in hackers and painters, IIRC) were also completely unfounded. It turned out he was confusing static typing with explicitly having to type (keystrokes that is) the type of a variable or parameter. Utterly unaware of type inference.
- ashtonkem 5y ago
  Static typing and inference aside, I find that his arguments about language verbosity and character count utterly without evidence. A quick review of the startup scene will show a wide mix of programming languages, including a lot of Java. It’s fine if that’s his preference, but the argument that the best programmers (“hackers” in his parlance) prefer what he prefers to be both self serving and contrary to actual real world evidence.
SavantIdiot 5y ago
I wonder how much coding PG does these days. He reminds me of Al Bundy, how Al constantly talks about his highschool football team years as his life's peak, 30 years after the fact.
courtf 5y ago
What is the most impressive programming feat PG ever accomplished? A Lisp dialect maybe? I sort of get the sense that he doesn't realize how many crazy talented (but not famous) programmers there are out there. He's got a microphone and is determined to keep using it to tell us how great his ideas are, but the audience has gotten a lot more discerning since the 90s when producing a CRUD app in Lisp could still be considered a feat.

klipt 5y ago

> I’m reminded of his argument about how hackers choose languages that let them type the fewest characters possible Ah yes, just like real writers write in Ithkuil, a language constructed to maximize the meaning encoded per syllable.

toolslive 5y ago

Some of PGs arguments against static typing (in hackers and painters, IIRC) were also completely unfounded. It turned out he was confusing static typing with explicitly having to type (keystrokes that is) the type of a variable or parameter. Utterly unaware of type inference.

ashtonkem 5y ago
Static typing and inference aside, I find that his arguments about language verbosity and character count utterly without evidence. A quick review of the startup scene will show a wide mix of programming languages, including a lot of Java. It’s fine if that’s his preference, but the argument that the best programmers (“hackers” in his parlance) prefer what he prefers to be both self serving and contrary to actual real world evidence.

SavantIdiot 5y ago

I wonder how much coding PG does these days. He reminds me of Al Bundy, how Al constantly talks about his highschool football team years as his life's peak, 30 years after the fact.

courtf 5y ago

What is the most impressive programming feat PG ever accomplished? A Lisp dialect maybe? I sort of get the sense that he doesn't realize how many crazy talented (but not famous) programmers there are out there. He's got a microphone and is determined to keep using it to tell us how great his ideas are, but the audience has gotten a lot more discerning since the 90s when producing a CRUD app in Lisp could still be considered a feat.