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In this era of wikis, online docs, and the like, I definitely find myself reading very few books on programming. And if I do have a problem, Google is faster th

by noarchy 14y ago

In this era of wikis, online docs, and the like, I definitely find myself reading very few books on programming. And if I do have a problem, Google is faster than thumbing through a book (even if the book is sitting beside me, and how often does that happen?).

pmelendez 14y ago
Not sure if you are talking about books in printed form or if you are including ebooks as a form of "online docs". But there are a lot of books/ebooks that worth having as regular reading or just as reference. Few examples: The art of computer programming, Effective C++, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, OnLisp, among others. Yeah, you can find a few of them for free as a digital version, but they were written in a book fashion with the regular editorial process that is lacking in a lot of wikis and on-line docs. I definitely see space for both if the material is good.
Ruska 14y ago
Blog posts and wikis are great for finding a quick fix/example on how to solve a small problem. I find books useful for when I'm learning a new concept from scratch.
hashtree 14y ago
I am glad so many devs think this way. It is nice to take over your clients at insane rates when they get fed up and re-write your projects in a 1/8 of the time and 1/4th the cost. Please, do not read any solid computer science books. That's right, Google will solve all your problems.
- noarchy 14y ago
  Jump to conclusions much? You'd be wrong to assume that people who can successfully read (and comprehend) documentation are going to be the first to Google their way to an answer. Quite the opposite, in my experience. Computer science? Sure, read CS books. When I want to learn a framework, I've got no use for CS books at that moment. I'll use my experience with the language, and my ability to read docs to learn how to do things. For core concepts, where one is entering uncharted waters, I've found that a book can provide some helpful guidance.

by noarchy 14y ago

pmelendez 14y ago

Not sure if you are talking about books in printed form or if you are including ebooks as a form of "online docs". But there are a lot of books/ebooks that worth having as regular reading or just as reference. Few examples: The art of computer programming, Effective C++, Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, OnLisp, among others. Yeah, you can find a few of them for free as a digital version, but they were written in a book fashion with the regular editorial process that is lacking in a lot of wikis and on-line docs. I definitely see space for both if the material is good.

Ruska 14y ago

Blog posts and wikis are great for finding a quick fix/example on how to solve a small problem. I find books useful for when I'm learning a new concept from scratch.

hashtree 14y ago

I am glad so many devs think this way. It is nice to take over your clients at insane rates when they get fed up and re-write your projects in a 1/8 of the time and 1/4th the cost. Please, do not read any solid computer science books. That's right, Google will solve all your problems.

noarchy 14y ago
Jump to conclusions much? You'd be wrong to assume that people who can successfully read (and comprehend) documentation are going to be the first to Google their way to an answer. Quite the opposite, in my experience. Computer science? Sure, read CS books. When I want to learn a framework, I've got no use for CS books at that moment. I'll use my experience with the language, and my ability to read docs to learn how to do things. For core concepts, where one is entering uncharted waters, I've found that a book can provide some helpful guidance.