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Dunno if it actually is democratizing software engineering. Looks more like a cargo cult to me. You get a second class of developers that don't quite get it.
by marginalia_nu 3y ago
Dunno if it actually is democratizing software engineering. Looks more like a cargo cult to me. You get a second class of developers that don't quite get it. Not because they aren't capable, but because nobody shared the secrets with them and they had to piece together everything from flotsam.
- toast0 3y agoCargo cult programming is a starting point. Plenty of people won't go any further, but when what you're putting together is all source code, it's mostly transparent boxes you're putting together. You can look inside and see the secrets whenever you want, if you ever want. Sure, maybe there's some design principles to share that aren't obvious. But it's hard to share and teach those before someone has experience with at least putting stuff together. Also, it's not like there are principles that are universally accepted or universally applied by trained software engineers.
- marginalia_nu 3y agoI'd say it's more the opposite. What characterizes cargo cult development is having too many principles and rules, rather than lacking them, they're rules without any real understanding of why they exist and what they're for or when they're applicable. As long as you adhere to the strictures, good code emerges somehow. The way to bring a cargo cult developer into the light typically involves debunking or contextualizing a whole bunch of weird ideas.
- toast0 3y agoMaybe you and I have a different definition of cargo cult developers than I do. I'm thinking cut and paste from stack overflow (or now chatGPT) without much understanding or consistency. Knowing how to apply design principles and rules despite not fully understanding them is a different level, in my mind.