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Blackboards don't generally crash, or have parse errors, or have encoding errors, or have usability problems. If you have chalk and a blackboard and have some s

by duaneb 12y ago

Blackboards don't generally crash, or have parse errors, or have encoding errors, or have usability problems. If you have chalk and a blackboard and have some semblance of an ability to write, you can use it to its fullest extent.

lisper 12y ago
Computers nowadays don't generally crash either. And when you say "Blackboards don't have parse errors" what you mean is that blackboard never tell you when you've made a mistake (because they can't). That's not a feature. It's easy to program a computer not to tell you when it detects an error. But there's a reason this is not often done: detecting errors automatically is tremendously useful, especially when you're doing math.
Chris_Newton 12y ago
Blackboards don't generally crash But they suffer from “memory exhaustion” rather easily, to the point where even several blackboards on a funky roller system might be insufficient for a one hour lecture developing a complicated proof. And the garbage collection causes a serious interruption and sometimes misses things. have parse errors Your lecturers obviously had much more legible handwriting than some of mine! have encoding errors Well, an encoding where P, p, and ρ all occupy the same code point might be considered ill-advised, and one where m, n, r, u, v and w may variously appear distinct or not depending on the display device in use is downright mischievous. have usability problems Does blocking half the lecture theatre’s view every time you write up a new formula count as a usability problem?
- j2kun 12y ago
  > But they suffer from “memory exhaustion” rather easily, to the point where even several blackboards on a funky roller system might be insufficient for a one hour lecture developing a complicated proof This is more of a problem with people or time constraints, not the medium.

by duaneb 12y ago

lisper 12y ago

Computers nowadays don't generally crash either. And when you say "Blackboards don't have parse errors" what you mean is that blackboard never tell you when you've made a mistake (because they can't). That's not a feature. It's easy to program a computer not to tell you when it detects an error. But there's a reason this is not often done: detecting errors automatically is tremendously useful, especially when you're doing math.

Chris_Newton 12y ago

Blackboards don't generally crash But they suffer from “memory exhaustion” rather easily, to the point where even several blackboards on a funky roller system might be insufficient for a one hour lecture developing a complicated proof. And the garbage collection causes a serious interruption and sometimes misses things. have parse errors Your lecturers obviously had much more legible handwriting than some of mine! have encoding errors Well, an encoding where P, p, and ρ all occupy the same code point might be considered ill-advised, and one where m, n, r, u, v and w may variously appear distinct or not depending on the display device in use is downright mischievous. have usability problems Does blocking half the lecture theatre’s view every time you write up a new formula count as a usability problem?

j2kun 12y ago
> But they suffer from “memory exhaustion” rather easily, to the point where even several blackboards on a funky roller system might be insufficient for a one hour lecture developing a complicated proof This is more of a problem with people or time constraints, not the medium.