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this is an interesting historical artifact demonstrating the skill of one individual. its not "what counts", it was a low importance side project in its time, a

this is an interesting historical artifact demonstrating the skill of one individual. its not "what counts", it was a low importance side project in its time, and is interesting today only as a piece of history, not for any lasting technology impact it had. why you're using this as an excuse to take cheap shots at web developers is beyond me.

TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
Not true. A lot of people were so amazed by the potential of ZX81 game programming they became programmers themselves - sometimes games programmers, but just as often general developers. If the ZX81 hadn't done anything of interest it wouldn't have persuaded those people that awesome programming was possible. Dismissing this kind of coding as a side show is arrogant and ill-informed. The ZX81 itself was a similar project that squeezed maximum usefulness and affordability out of very limited resources. IMO this illustrates the difference between engineers and hacks. Hacks are pleased when code sort-of works. Engineers are only satisfied with designs that are minimal, elegant, and use resources as efficiently as possible. This actually matters. Efficient coding influences everything from battery life to mobile data costs to cloud fees to data centre profitability. Sure, it's easy to ignore. It's just not very professional.
- metaphorm 12y ago
  please don't put words into my mouth or deliberately misinterpret me for your own purposes. this kind of rhetorical dishonesty really reflects badly on you. I didn't dismiss it as a sideshow. My exact words were "low importance side project". It was a side project, as in, not the code he was working on full time for his business. It was low importance, because it was just a chess game, not a piece of system software or a business application or anything else that mattered materially. Its possible to admire the skill and craft of a low importance side project and its author, and to be inspired by that skill and craft, and yet still acknowledge that it was a low importance side project. When you slander me by accusing me of being arrogant and ill-informed you reveal your true character. You don't know me at all. You're eager to falsely attribute beliefs to me that I don't have and you're eager to criticize me for things I have not even said. You should probably take some time to consider why you feel the need to do this. Its pretty obscene.
  - oldmanjay 12y ago
    I don't like the way you said this, but I agree with your point. People bring way too many personal biases to public discourse.
ctdonath 12y ago
"Strange how much human progress and achievement comes from contemplation of the irrelevant." - Scott Kim

TheOtherHobbes 12y ago

Not true. A lot of people were so amazed by the potential of ZX81 game programming they became programmers themselves - sometimes games programmers, but just as often general developers. If the ZX81 hadn't done anything of interest it wouldn't have persuaded those people that awesome programming was possible. Dismissing this kind of coding as a side show is arrogant and ill-informed. The ZX81 itself was a similar project that squeezed maximum usefulness and affordability out of very limited resources. IMO this illustrates the difference between engineers and hacks. Hacks are pleased when code sort-of works. Engineers are only satisfied with designs that are minimal, elegant, and use resources as efficiently as possible. This actually matters. Efficient coding influences everything from battery life to mobile data costs to cloud fees to data centre profitability. Sure, it's easy to ignore. It's just not very professional.

metaphorm 12y ago
please don't put words into my mouth or deliberately misinterpret me for your own purposes. this kind of rhetorical dishonesty really reflects badly on you. I didn't dismiss it as a sideshow. My exact words were "low importance side project". It was a side project, as in, not the code he was working on full time for his business. It was low importance, because it was just a chess game, not a piece of system software or a business application or anything else that mattered materially. Its possible to admire the skill and craft of a low importance side project and its author, and to be inspired by that skill and craft, and yet still acknowledge that it was a low importance side project. When you slander me by accusing me of being arrogant and ill-informed you reveal your true character. You don't know me at all. You're eager to falsely attribute beliefs to me that I don't have and you're eager to criticize me for things I have not even said. You should probably take some time to consider why you feel the need to do this. Its pretty obscene.
- oldmanjay 12y ago
  I don't like the way you said this, but I agree with your point. People bring way too many personal biases to public discourse.

ctdonath 12y ago

"Strange how much human progress and achievement comes from contemplation of the irrelevant." - Scott Kim