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Back To 'The Future of Programming'

Posted by Soulskill on from the coding-at-88-mph dept.

theodp writes "Bret Victor's The Future of Programming (YouTube video; Vimeo version) should probably be required viewing this fall for all CS majors — and their professors. For his recent DBX Conference talk, Victor took attendees back to the year 1973, donning the uniform of an IBM systems engineer of the times, delivering his presentation on an overhead projector. The '60s and early '70s were a fertile time for CS ideas, reminds Victor, but even more importantly, it was a time of unfettered thinking, unconstrained by programming dogma, authority, and tradition. 'The most dangerous thought that you can have as a creative person is to think that you know what you're doing,' explains Victor. 'Because once you think you know what you're doing you stop looking around for other ways of doing things and you stop being able to see other ways of doing things. You become blind.' He concludes, 'I think you have to say: "We don't know what programming is. We don't know what computing is. We don't even know what a computer is." And once you truly understand that, and once you truly believe that, then you're free, and you can think anything.'"

5 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. I knew it by ArcadeMan · · Score: 3, Funny

    Every time some stupid colleagues of mine told me I was doing it wrong, I kept thinking they were close-minded idiots.

    Turns out, I was right all along!

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  2. Re:Short version? by oodaloop · · Score: 3, Funny

    What, TFS wasn't short enough for you?

    --
    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  3. Would you happen to be an InfoSys trainer? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> We don't know what programming is. We don't know what computing is. We don't even know what a computer is.

    Aha - they found the guy who trains InfoSys employees.

  4. 70s yeah right! by rvw · · Score: 3, Funny

    The future of programming, from the seventies, it's all hippie talk...

    "We don't know what programming is. We don't know what computing is. We don't even know what a computer is." And once you truly understand that, and once you truly believe that, then you're free, and you can think anything.'"

    Next thing we can throw our chairs out and sit on the carpet with long hair, smoke weed and drink beer....

  5. Wow man by jackjumper · · Score: 3, Funny

    I need some more bong hits to fully consider this