4 ms·

> [V]alues and assumptions contained in programming languages inform the software that’s written with them and change the world accordingly. By the time I’d lea

> [V]alues and assumptions contained in programming languages inform the software that’s written with them and change the world accordingly. By the time I’d learned that Brendan Eich, author of JavaScript, is an anti-vaxxer and was a supporter of a campaign to have same-sex marriage nixed in California, I wasn’t surprised. I don't particularly associate Javascript with any brand of anti-vaxxing, anti-same-sex-marriage movements or values. Is this just a jab at Javascript being "bad" so of course its authour is also "bad"?

erehweb 2y ago
Pretty much. He's saying Javascript is an ugly language, and that this is not a surprise, as Eich's views and actions are similarly ugly.
- zarzavat 2y ago
  Kind of like homeopathy where water supposedly has a “memory” of the substances previously dissolved in it. Inanimate objects apparently have a memory of their designers’ political opinions. I can’t say I know who designed even 1% of my possessions, let alone their opinions, and I would bet that the author is the same. So is it knowing who the designer is that’s the issue?
  - danjl 2y ago
    Also ironically, kinda like English, which is ugly, and has even more ways of saying anything. Language and writers, have done far more damage to the world historically than coding or programmers. Also many great and wonderful things, just like coding. Outrage is such a wonderful emotion.
  - oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
    Come on, water having a memory is clearly a totally different level of delusion to creators' political opinions influencing their work. I agree that language design is affected to a lesser extent, but it's not incredible to think it may still be impacted.
smodo 2y ago
Really makes you wonder how we put up with ReiserFS for so long. Looks like the author has decided to sell his book by looking at political dimensions of programming. Nothing inherently wrong with that but among programmers it hardly feels like a novel or interesting idea.

erehweb 2y ago

Pretty much. He's saying Javascript is an ugly language, and that this is not a surprise, as Eich's views and actions are similarly ugly.

zarzavat 2y ago
Kind of like homeopathy where water supposedly has a “memory” of the substances previously dissolved in it. Inanimate objects apparently have a memory of their designers’ political opinions. I can’t say I know who designed even 1% of my possessions, let alone their opinions, and I would bet that the author is the same. So is it knowing who the designer is that’s the issue?
- danjl 2y ago
  Also ironically, kinda like English, which is ugly, and has even more ways of saying anything. Language and writers, have done far more damage to the world historically than coding or programmers. Also many great and wonderful things, just like coding. Outrage is such a wonderful emotion.
- oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
  Come on, water having a memory is clearly a totally different level of delusion to creators' political opinions influencing their work. I agree that language design is affected to a lesser extent, but it's not incredible to think it may still be impacted.

smodo 2y ago

Really makes you wonder how we put up with ReiserFS for so long. Looks like the author has decided to sell his book by looking at political dimensions of programming. Nothing inherently wrong with that but among programmers it hardly feels like a novel or interesting idea.