4 ms·
One aspect in which one can see that we are still in an immature field is seeing how "the new thing" is always valued more than the stablished one, and how lang
by JaumeGreen 4y ago
One aspect in which one can see that we are still in an immature field is seeing how "the new thing" is always valued more than the stablished one, and how language books are more recommended than works that intend to be foundational (like TAOCP or SWEBOK, disclaimer, I've read neither of them).
- ekidd 4y ago> how language books are more recommended than works that intend to be foundational (like TAOCP or SWEBOK, disclaimer, I've read neither of them). I have read some of the "foundational" works, at least well enough to know roughly what's in them. But I've only had the privilege of applying TAOCP a couple of times in my career. Similarly for other techniques from calculus to dynamic programming algorithms. 99% of the time, I try to focus on the simple solution, one that fits the business needs closely. A few times a year, I encounter a situation where a small amount of cleverness (or deeper theory) has a big payoff for the business. Then I indulge myself carefully. And in those cases where cleverness is actually a win, simplicity becomes even more important. If I had to make an analogy, programming is a bit like being a fine woodworker with a limited budget. You want to solve the problem, with quality work, at a reasonable price. Finding the right balance can be extremely satisfying, and it can help an organization achieve ambitious goals.