2 ms·

Also, since I tend to loop back: yes, "fun" is subjective, and your points about Objective C and Pascal were actually mentioned directly in the footnotes, inclu

Also, since I tend to loop back: yes, "fun" is subjective, and your points about Objective C and Pascal were actually mentioned directly in the footnotes, including the "false start" nomenclature, which came from Oram, not me, and I mentioned COBOL's specific remaining survival directly as well. Comments are always appreciated, of course, but they're best when they actually address the article they're commenting on instead of inferences. I get that the article's not short - I don't enjoy 300 word things that lack nuance - but even so.

hnlmorg 2mo ago
Maybe you shouldn’t open with such provocative statements if you are already aware they’re not fair? Posting flamebate and expecting people to read until the footnotes isn’t going to get you favourable feedback.
- jottinger 2mo ago
  It's not flamebait - or "flamebate" - and I don't write "for favorable feedback." Did you not read the article? The author - me - actually means every word of it, including the bits about vocation and joy. Life is not single-dimensional, and neither is knowledge.
  - hnlmorg 2mo ago
    > yes, "fun" is subjective, and your points about Objective C and Pascal were actually mentioned directly in the footnotes, including the "false start" nomenclature I didn’t get as far as the footnotes because the article glossed over so much nuance at the start that it felt like I was reading something from a 20-something fresh out of college. And by your own admission, you have to read to the footnotes to get to the nuance. Maybe it does get better towards the end, but then that’s a failure of the writing if you have to read the first 90% before you finally get to anything insightful. Plus it’s not just me that disagreed with the premise of the article. Reading the comments afterwards, others have taken away the same thing I had. I’m sure you’re a competent author and your other submissions demonstrate more thoughtful insights. But unfortunately this one misses the mark. It’s just far too reductive for far too much of the article.
    - jottinger 2mo ago
      Totally fair, totally understood, such is life, which is why the very first paragraph says what the whole article then articulates in more detail. :D I do this weird "tell people stuff up front" thing where I don't like clickbait titles, don't prefer the simple thing to the true thing, use opening paragraphs as actual theses - or close to it. If you read the first paragraph, you got the gist. The footnotes are footnotes because having interspersed aside text isn't convenient to write.

hnlmorg 2mo ago

Maybe you shouldn’t open with such provocative statements if you are already aware they’re not fair? Posting flamebate and expecting people to read until the footnotes isn’t going to get you favourable feedback.

jottinger 2mo ago
It's not flamebait - or "flamebate" - and I don't write "for favorable feedback." Did you not read the article? The author - me - actually means every word of it, including the bits about vocation and joy. Life is not single-dimensional, and neither is knowledge.
- hnlmorg 2mo ago
  > yes, "fun" is subjective, and your points about Objective C and Pascal were actually mentioned directly in the footnotes, including the "false start" nomenclature I didn’t get as far as the footnotes because the article glossed over so much nuance at the start that it felt like I was reading something from a 20-something fresh out of college. And by your own admission, you have to read to the footnotes to get to the nuance. Maybe it does get better towards the end, but then that’s a failure of the writing if you have to read the first 90% before you finally get to anything insightful. Plus it’s not just me that disagreed with the premise of the article. Reading the comments afterwards, others have taken away the same thing I had. I’m sure you’re a competent author and your other submissions demonstrate more thoughtful insights. But unfortunately this one misses the mark. It’s just far too reductive for far too much of the article.
  - jottinger 2mo ago
    Totally fair, totally understood, such is life, which is why the very first paragraph says what the whole article then articulates in more detail. :D I do this weird "tell people stuff up front" thing where I don't like clickbait titles, don't prefer the simple thing to the true thing, use opening paragraphs as actual theses - or close to it. If you read the first paragraph, you got the gist. The footnotes are footnotes because having interspersed aside text isn't convenient to write.