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I'm not sure how to interpret the last part... "Where I am from, the point of digging is not freedom from digging." Is it a statement that the point of diggin

by Nadya 11y ago

I'm not sure how to interpret the last part... "Where I am from, the point of digging is not freedom from digging." Is it a statement that the point of digging is to reach further and learn more (positive)? Is it a statement more along the lines of "We dig because we must dig to survive." (negative)? Or possibly that digging is simply a way of life (negative)?

vbnmvbnmvbnm 11y ago
It's a joke, that's the punchline. The corollary being the axiom: "If your problem is that you're stuck in a hole, the first part of fixing that is: do not make the hole deeper by digging, since that makes the problem worse." As opposed to the mindset of developers being akin to a coal miner, where the goal is to dig, and a bottomless pit is not a problem, it's the goal. (in other words you stay employed) Consider the lyrics from the song Trust Your Mechanic by Dead Kennedys. Trust your mechanic to mend your car. Bring it in to his garage. He tightens and loosens a few spare parts. One thing's fixed, another falls apart. Trust your mechanic to make you well. You're seeing an awful lot of him now. The quicker he makes your life fall apart, The more money you put in his pockets.
mattchamb 11y ago
I take it to mean that if you keep digging, the hole will just be deeper. I.e. you cant dig yourself out of a hole.
- Nadya 11y ago
  What are you doing when you "dig into a problem"? :) I have a feeling the intent was supposed to be pessimistic/negative (as you stated). I decided to have some fun with the words. It leaves a few possibilities as to the meaning and speaks well of what the developers are typically doing in their "problem solving": digging deeper (for knowledge) rather than trying to get out of a hole. "People who cannot dig themselves out of a hole have never tried digging sideways." - JS Developer
  - vbnmvbnmvbnm 11y ago
    The interpretation is left open to the reader. It could be a negative and cynical nod to the idea that we're doomed, and digging our way straight to hell, or possibly a coy wink at an absurd paradox of conflicting goals among participants.
dazhbog 11y ago
I took it as a positive meaning.. The point of digging (suffering as a dev from all these new shiny things) is to reach a purity/elegance when writing code not only to just create/finish the project. Another way of seeing it is when we fix bugs. Instead of fixing one thing and finishing it, we like to touch and try to fix all the things (mostly when we own the code).. Essentially digging your own grave.. sometimes.. :)

by Nadya 11y ago

vbnmvbnmvbnm 11y ago

It's a joke, that's the punchline. The corollary being the axiom: "If your problem is that you're stuck in a hole, the first part of fixing that is: do not make the hole deeper by digging, since that makes the problem worse." As opposed to the mindset of developers being akin to a coal miner, where the goal is to dig, and a bottomless pit is not a problem, it's the goal. (in other words you stay employed) Consider the lyrics from the song Trust Your Mechanic by Dead Kennedys. Trust your mechanic to mend your car. Bring it in to his garage. He tightens and loosens a few spare parts. One thing's fixed, another falls apart. Trust your mechanic to make you well. You're seeing an awful lot of him now. The quicker he makes your life fall apart, The more money you put in his pockets.

mattchamb 11y ago

I take it to mean that if you keep digging, the hole will just be deeper. I.e. you cant dig yourself out of a hole.

Nadya 11y ago
What are you doing when you "dig into a problem"? :) I have a feeling the intent was supposed to be pessimistic/negative (as you stated). I decided to have some fun with the words. It leaves a few possibilities as to the meaning and speaks well of what the developers are typically doing in their "problem solving": digging deeper (for knowledge) rather than trying to get out of a hole. "People who cannot dig themselves out of a hole have never tried digging sideways." - JS Developer
- vbnmvbnmvbnm 11y ago
  The interpretation is left open to the reader. It could be a negative and cynical nod to the idea that we're doomed, and digging our way straight to hell, or possibly a coy wink at an absurd paradox of conflicting goals among participants.

dazhbog 11y ago

I took it as a positive meaning.. The point of digging (suffering as a dev from all these new shiny things) is to reach a purity/elegance when writing code not only to just create/finish the project. Another way of seeing it is when we fix bugs. Instead of fixing one thing and finishing it, we like to touch and try to fix all the things (mostly when we own the code).. Essentially digging your own grave.. sometimes.. :)