Actually I agree with the professor. Overtime code will change, and comments rarely are kept up with the same level as the code. I therefore don't read comments as often as just looking at the code. (Hence the saying "comments lie")
I also rarely comment as the code is created with enough information that it has the commenting built in.
The only time I comment is when something is happening that is not obvious from the code, or which explains the background thinking behind doing something a certain way. Basically just notes to myself to remind me (or the next guy) what thoughts went into it.
I think boredom is a useful tool, to encourage young minds to think for themselves. Also to encourage young minds to not get boring jobs. If you've never experienced boredom you won't understand how tedious it is.
With this in mind, I think unschooling should be taught in schools. Students should sit at their desks for many hours a day with a teacher droning on and on about some book to be examined in microscopic detail until nothing of interest remains.
If I now realize that I'm a marshmellow eater, can I start recognizing that behavior and correct it. Thereby becoming more successful and have a happier life?
I had one child who went into the Montessori school and one of the things that they do, is not let you go onto the next activity until you've mastered the current one. These activities are all in very incremental steps and by the time he entered kindergarden he was able to add subtract, read and write, and had a basic understanding of multiplication. He is the brightest of my children and I wish that the other two had the same experience.
The point is that part of the Montessori method, is delayed gratification, you can't try the net neat thing until you've mastered this one.
I've found that RMS often says things that make me step back and reconsider. For example cloud computing. I always get caught up in the buzzwords, but RMS pointed out that it actually gives people less control.
RMS is all about giving control to the user of the software. His whole philosophy is based upon being free to modify/repair/change any software that you are using, whether in a computer or printer or whatever. The fact that you've bought the software, means (in his mind) that you should have the right to change it. If you've bought a printer that has a bug in it's firmware you should be able to change it.
Companies don't like this idea because they will 1. have more expenses when a fix actually breaks something. 2. their propitiatory software is secret. 3. if you knew how simple the code was you would be upset at the price you paid. 4. competitors will use their code/ideas. 5. whatever
Companies are not consumer oriented. They are profit oriented. RMS is consumer oriented. He sounds eccentric when he talks because people have been brainwashed into thinking along the corporate lines.
If you view what he says from a consumer point of view he sounds very sane. Rather like Ralph Nader seemed eccentric when he went after the pinto.
I've been looking through all the posts, and YOURS was the one that I thought summed it up beautifully.
Re:Postal addresses identify houses!I
on
P.I.I. In the Sky
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· Score: 1
I agree with LordLimecat. An ip address identifies a computer which may or may not belong to the person using it. I don't see how you can say that an IP address is identifiable infomation. It's information that has a higher likelyhood of being true, but not absolutely. (Which for legal matters would be important).
That worked out really well. I read the blurb, it said it was available. Did the check for updates, it downloaded and restarted, and then I went into the story.
If you consider source code in which on a typical distro is made up of the work from 100's of thousands of programmers/designers/artists/documenters etc. And you use these distros on the faith that they are well put together. This to me is trust.
If you consider that the reason this came to be is due to RMS's ideals, which enforce those ideals, I have no problems at all.
Is it just me or are there a lot of back handed compliments to Linux in this story. Like this guy who says he spends a day setting up his Linux computer.
Using most distros it takes at most 1/2 hour to get things installed.
After that you are installing new software, which happens the same on windows as is does in Linux.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually I agree with the professor. Overtime code will change, and comments rarely are kept up with the same level as the code. I therefore don't read comments as often as just looking at the code. (Hence the saying "comments lie")
I also rarely comment as the code is created with enough information that it has the commenting built in.
The only time I comment is when something is happening that is not obvious from the code, or which explains the background thinking behind doing something a certain way. Basically just notes to myself to remind me (or the next guy) what thoughts went into it.
And of course I mistyped the code.
int n; //number of shoes // assign n
printf("we have %d pair%s of shoe%s",n, (n!=1) ? : "s" : "", (n!=1) ? "es" : "");
I like to use ternary conditions in my code where strings output based on a condional
for example
int n; //number of shoes
printf("we have %d pair%s of shoe%s",n,n ? : "s" : "",? "es" : "");
If you aren't used to it it is confusing, but if you are it saves a ton of code.
Is it considered a clever one liner?
How about // do loop until return or break
while(1)
{
}
My code is usually very terse, which helps me maintain it because dense code requires less reading to understand. (IMHO)
I tried this once, but I hated being on a leash so much that I quickly found another job. It just wasn't worth my sanity.
Agreed. SOOO addictive. I'm having Crack-attack dreams.
I guess my kids were lucky, they had touch typing in grade 3. They had keyboards that were a bit smaller to accommodate smaller hands.
The teacher taught them to not look at their hands while typing.
I took typing in grade 9, and it was the most practical course I ever took.
My kids are done high school and they all type faster then me, and I go around 70 wpm.
I think boredom is a useful tool, to encourage young minds to think for themselves. Also to encourage young minds to not get boring jobs. If you've never experienced boredom you won't understand how tedious it is.
With this in mind, I think unschooling should be taught in schools. Students should sit at their desks for many hours a day with a teacher droning on and on about some book to be examined in microscopic detail until nothing of interest remains.
Oh wait.... that happens now.
If I now realize that I'm a marshmellow eater, can I start recognizing that behavior and correct it. Thereby becoming more successful and have a happier life?
I had one child who went into the Montessori school and one of the things that they do, is not let you go onto the next activity until you've mastered the current one. These activities are all in very incremental steps and by the time he entered kindergarden he was able to add subtract, read and write, and had a basic understanding of multiplication. He is the brightest of my children and I wish that the other two had the same experience.
The point is that part of the Montessori method, is delayed gratification, you can't try the net neat thing until you've mastered this one.
Maybe that's because there is more then one person writing comments.
I've found that RMS often says things that make me step back and reconsider. For example cloud computing. I always get caught up in the buzzwords, but RMS pointed out that it actually gives people less control.
RMS is all about giving control to the user of the software. His whole philosophy is based upon being free to modify/repair/change any software that you are using, whether in a computer or printer or whatever. The fact that you've bought the software, means (in his mind) that you should have the right to change it. If you've bought a printer that has a bug in it's firmware you should be able to change it.
Companies don't like this idea because they will
1. have more expenses when a fix actually breaks something.
2. their propitiatory software is secret.
3. if you knew how simple the code was you would be upset at the price you paid.
4. competitors will use their code/ideas.
5. whatever
Companies are not consumer oriented. They are profit oriented. RMS is consumer oriented. He sounds eccentric when he talks because people have been brainwashed into thinking along the corporate lines.
If you view what he says from a consumer point of view he sounds very sane. Rather like Ralph Nader seemed eccentric when he went after the pinto.
I've been looking through all the posts, and YOURS was the one that I thought summed it up beautifully.
I agree with LordLimecat. An ip address identifies a computer which may or may not belong to the person using it. I don't see how you can say that an IP address is identifiable infomation. It's information that has a higher likelyhood of being true, but not absolutely. (Which for legal matters would be important).
That worked out really well. I read the blurb, it said it was available. Did the check for updates, it downloaded and restarted, and then I went into the story.
All upgrades should be so easy!
This stuff is so useful, that it can be used with any experiment to obtain the results you want.
So let's call 112 UnObtainium so we can finally do all those experiments.
Last week when everyone was talking about their favorite ide's I kept thinking that kdevelop should have this or has that.
It's the one IDE that I've used for Linux development (besides vi) that I've used for years. I'm looking forward to the new class browser.
And I think you're special for thinking he's special.
If you consider source code in which on a typical distro is made up of the work from 100's of thousands of programmers/designers/artists/documenters etc. And you use these distros on the faith that they are well put together. This to me is trust.
If you consider that the reason this came to be is due to RMS's ideals, which enforce those ideals, I have no problems at all.
BTW, why are you smelling 15 year old girls?
Arg. That was supposed to be...
My basic issue with RMS's logic is that he doesn't want to trust anyone. Because if you don't trust anyone, you can't be double-crossed. Right?
I think the gpl shows the opposite. You can trust everyone, you just need to enforce it. He figured out a clever way to do that.
That one is definitely the best.
Is it just me or are there a lot of back handed compliments to Linux in this story. Like this guy who says he spends a day setting up his Linux computer.
Using most distros it takes at most 1/2 hour to get things installed.
After that you are installing new software, which happens the same on windows as is does in Linux.
I think the MS trolls have invaded Slashdot.
Well, Acer said Linux line is not profitable enough.
MSI said return rate of Linux is too high.
Dell said the Linux returns were lower. I think it's safe to blame the marketing departments.
Here's a challenge: link me to an ARM netbook I can buy right now
Look to phones and pda's. Most of them are arm's and some of them them run Linux.
How about the Iphone, what does it use?
You're right. I'm in Canada and you simply cannot purchase a netbook with Linux on it from the local retail.
Even the "refurbished" ones have XP which makes me think that MS is helping the refurbish.
Well, ok if he had switched to some sort of UNIX from cpm instead of DOS all those years ago he would still be supported.