On Friday 30 December 2016 19:46:59 deloptes wrote:
> rhkra...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Well, just to add another viewpoint (and because it was (is?) a sore
> > point with me):
> >
> > * I used to program on paper (and, really, still do on those rare
> > occasions)--I think out what I plan to do, even to the level of code or
> > pseudocode--then I go to a machine and enter what I've written (for me,
> > the first was paper tape on teletype machines, then punched cards)
> >
> > * the sore point for me was having ("cowboy") programmers work with me,
> > who, imo, did more trial and error than planning--resulting in lots of
> > errors and delays...
> >
> > Anyway, I'm pretty much past all that now ;-)
>
> First of all a manual does not imply design etc. It is just a manual - the
> hand book to the product. Some are good and some are bad. Those have no
> relation to design.
>
> 2nd a computer (and a program) are terms that are part of 400y
> philosophical tradition in mathematics here in the west and (someone might
> be upset) it is related to (our christian) God and eternity.That is definitely debatable. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ancient+greek+computer&oq=ancient+greek+computer&aqs=chrome..69i57.6858j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 In what way is the Antikythera mechanism not a computer? And where did your 400 years come from? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Euclid&oq=Euclid&aqs=chrome..69i57.3605j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pythagoras&oq=pythagoras&aqs=chrome..69i57.4005j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Yes, I know that I could have gone earlier (Babylon etc.), but well pre-christian seemed enough here. You can't argue anything reasonably from the terms, since that depends on the language you are speaking at the time, which most certainly does not depend on the Christian, or even Abrahamic, God. I just looked computer up on Google translate and got: ηλεκτρονικός υπολογιστής (my Greek ante-dates PCs ;-) ) But that I think is more "electronic computer", which is certainly well post Christian. And the term "program" is American. > Shortly > explained if Keppler did not ask himself, how one could prove that god is > eternal and exists ... we wouldn't have a computer at all, As I say, I don't buy this. There are many analogue computers that antedate Keppler. > because the > question of eternity/infinity lead via Gödel, Kantor etc to Allen Turing > ... who defined a machine that is able to run eternally. > > to your last point (trial and error) there are always two types of > enthusiasts - the average and the genius. The best example is Edison vs > Tesla. > > If a developer does not know how to document his/her work - he's a crippled > id*ot and must be fired. If he is not employed, as most open source developers are not, he can't be fired. People who are doing things as a hobby and because they enjoy them, do the bits they enjoy. Which is why so much wonderful open source software decays from bit-rot, without ever getting documented. :-( Lisi > The sad thing is that people learn less and less > language at school, so no wonder there are more and more id**ts on this > planet. > > regards
