3 ms·

> You are better at solving your type of problems than they are Mike Acton's remark about Microsoft Word taking 30 seconds to boot suggests he does not general

by Jare 12y ago

> You are better at solving your type of problems than they are Mike Acton's remark about Microsoft Word taking 30 seconds to boot suggests he does not generally believe what you said. Part of the philosophy behind these talks is that, just because a piece of software works (and sells, and pays your bills, etc) doesn't mean it is good software or that is well programmed. Different people measure quality based on bugs, or crashes, or responsiveness, or size, or argh how beautiful it is. But it also is not just about efficiency at runtime. Some of these talks dive into how certain approaches to software design (like traditional OOP) have gained traction for their appearance of utility rather than their actual value. Or in some cases, as shown in the post you reply to, because they are more "easy and fun."

zamalek 12y ago
Acton + co have years and years of experience with hardware-conscious development. They are masters at their craft. I don't think someone starting with data driven design would necessarily need to understand as much as they do. Mastery is impossible to acquire in an instant. If it is Acton's belief that all of these concepts need to be understood at once, even by a beginner, he is going to find that he has a very thin following. Furthermore, if you take things at an even more fundamental level than Acton is suggesting the hardware becomes irrelevant. Computer Science stemmed from Mathematics and is as such an application of Mathematics. This is especially relevant when you look at what Carmac did all those years ago by using some clever math to create a 3D shaded game. When you look at it that way, what is the ultimate goal of Mathematics? To find an answer. Indeed, we are working with "Computer Science" and part of science is finding an answer. Given that, all data driven development really boils down to is: f(x) => ... In his specific area of the science, he cares about the cost of the "=>," however, other areas might value the "f(x)" more. In the startup industry the answer is finding out whether the answer to "f(x) => ..." is something that should be solved in the first case. Therefore, I would say, a well designed piece of software is thus because it finds a suitable answer. In game development part of the suitability of an answer is how quickly you can arrive at that answer. This also applies to, say, the stock market. With something like the first version of Facebook, the suitability of an answer is that it gives you insight into the viability of your idea. Your software has achieved a goal, within certain constraints, and therefore is successful. Even "Hello World" holds value because it has achieved the goal of getting a newcomer's feet wet.

by Jare 12y ago

zamalek 12y ago

Acton + co have years and years of experience with hardware-conscious development. They are masters at their craft. I don't think someone starting with data driven design would necessarily need to understand as much as they do. Mastery is impossible to acquire in an instant. If it is Acton's belief that all of these concepts need to be understood at once, even by a beginner, he is going to find that he has a very thin following. Furthermore, if you take things at an even more fundamental level than Acton is suggesting the hardware becomes irrelevant. Computer Science stemmed from Mathematics and is as such an application of Mathematics. This is especially relevant when you look at what Carmac did all those years ago by using some clever math to create a 3D shaded game. When you look at it that way, what is the ultimate goal of Mathematics? To find an answer. Indeed, we are working with "Computer Science" and part of science is finding an answer. Given that, all data driven development really boils down to is: f(x) => ... In his specific area of the science, he cares about the cost of the "=>," however, other areas might value the "f(x)" more. In the startup industry the answer is finding out whether the answer to "f(x) => ..." is something that should be solved in the first case. Therefore, I would say, a well designed piece of software is thus because it finds a suitable answer. In game development part of the suitability of an answer is how quickly you can arrive at that answer. This also applies to, say, the stock market. With something like the first version of Facebook, the suitability of an answer is that it gives you insight into the viability of your idea. Your software has achieved a goal, within certain constraints, and therefore is successful. Even "Hello World" holds value because it has achieved the goal of getting a newcomer's feet wet.