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Knowing HN, someone will surely deliver, and the front page will have 4-6 variants of "Why you should/shouldn't learn computer science"
by RegEx 14y ago
Knowing HN, someone will surely deliver, and the front page will have 4-6 variants of "Why you should/shouldn't learn computer science"
- alecbenzer 14y agoAfter I wrote out "fuck just programming, cs is fucking awesome", I immediately thought it sounded like a good name for a blog post :) Is my hipster showing?
- RegEx 14y agoYes. Unfortunately, I have only but one fuck to give, so I find your title a bit overwhelming ;)
- eli_gottlieb 14y agoI've been mentally composing a blog post entitled, "Programming is hard, which is why I don't want to do it" about the differences between "real programming" and computer science. The thesis is that "real programming" involves solving problems that are inherently simple but have loads of incidental state and details to mentally keep track of, whereas computer science involves solving streamlined, semi-pure instances of inherently hard problems. I prefer computer-science because I don't like loading five windows and 18 tabs worth of incidental state into my working mind just to get any work done at all, but I greatly enjoy cutting away every impurity and irrelevant detail to forge a creative solution from the ore of a truly difficult problem.
- lookACamel 14y agoPlease write this blog post out in full because it sounds exactly like what I've always felt but haven't been able to express properly.
- eli_gottlieb 14y agoDone and submitted to HN.
- lookACamel 14y agoThanks. I really think the difference you've pointed out is something more people should discuss, instead of implying that CS is just like programming(coding) but with more math. Instead most people focus on how programming isn't CS enough, or how CS isn't real-world enough and they miss or gloss over the fundamental difference between the two in regard to the type of cognitive abilities required.