6 ms·
I often ask other coders to contemplate "What software that we write today will still be in use 10,000 years from now?" That I am unable to answer that questio
by MichaelCrawford 11y ago
I often ask other coders to contemplate "What software that we write today will still be in use 10,000 years from now?"
That I am unable to answer that question is a primary reason I write English text rather than code the last ten years.
- sangnoir 11y agoYour English text (and English in general, as we know it) will not be in use in 10,000 years. There seems to be a widespread, almost instinctive desire to achieve permanence (works or monuments) in humans, which I do not fully understand. People want to make a dent on the universe, to be 'remembered as heroes' etc. Nothing lasts forever, not your works, not your memory. All will be lost in the mists of time. I don't see this as a reason for nihilism either, you can make a difference with your efforts - it just won't last forever (or even 1,000 years, let alone 10,000). That's ok.
- coldtea 11y ago>I don't see this as a reason for nihilism either, you can make a difference with your efforts - it just won't last forever (or even 1,000 years, let alone 10,000) Urgghh, the inventor of fire disagrees...
- tonyedgecombe 11y agoWhat was his name?
- coldtea 11y agoI said it: Urgghh.
- Tinyyy 11y agoCan you really ‘invent’ fire, though? I think ‘discovering’ would be a more apt word. Maybe you can invent a specific way to make fire, such as rubbing sticks together, but evidently we don’t do that anymore.
- MichaelCrawford 11y agoMy ex is a Buddhist. Bonita and I often discussed this. When I am gone I won't be around to know whether anyone remembers me. But when the end is near and I look back on my life, I will feel it was well-lived if I created something that is of at least plausibly lasting value.
- JBiserkov 11y agoEmacs?
- MichaelCrawford 11y agoEEACS Eighty Exabytes And Constantly Swapping