I predict that if/.ers get involved with this pedia, the signal to noise ratio will be (1/oo). That works out to approximately zero.
Also, there will prolly be a volume dedicated to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and yet another volume full of Katzian rantings.
I can hardly wait.
I'm a software guy, and have lots of opinions on programming languages, software dev, etc. I consider myself average in skills, and I would be interested to hear the opinions of someone who may be vastly more intelligent then me.
That said, my questions:
1. What is your favorite language to program in, and why?
2. If you were to create a new programming language from scratch, what would it look like? What would its capabilities be?
3. What do you think the biggest problem with software today is? I.E. quality/bugs, bloatedness, development time, cost, etc?
Three things to help your prodigy:
1) Teach him how to search.
If he doesn't know what's out there already, he's destined to repeat a lot of work that's already been done. I've seen accounts of this happening with other child geniuses, who rediscovered or reproved theorems that had already been proved. Such wasted effort! Give him a detailed tutorial on the usage and benefits of Google and Deja... he'll save himself lots of time, and might even learn something new.
2) Teach Him To Write
Think of some of the most admired geniuses today... are they solitary? Do they work in a vacuum? No, they are capable of explaining their ideas to others, and able to convey their discoveries to the common man through writing. Darwin wrote, Einstien wrote. It's like the tree falling in the forest question... if a genius makes a discovery, and nobody knows about it, then was a discovery really made? Teach him how to explain his discoveries in writing, and not only will there be a record of it, he will make his knowledge accessible to the masses.
3) Teach Him To Teach
I suppose this point is closely related to number (2), but teaching has an extra element -- a social element. Let him know that he will encounter people who know less than him, or are not as intelligent as him. Let him know that his duty is to educate the masses, to pass his genius around. Society will become a better place because of it. Teaching is more a social skill than a technical skill... you must be able to interact with and encourage people in order to teach them. It's important... imagine what the world would be like if the smart people refused to explaing their theories in easy-to-understand terms. Nobody would know anything!
In short: teach him to search, write, and teach... then he has the potential to be the next great genius!
Slashdot Mirror
Also, there will prolly be a volume dedicated to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and yet another volume full of Katzian rantings.
I can hardly wait.
Explosive.
Yeah. Maybe I'm a 14 year old high school sophomore.
*DUH*
That said, my questions:
1. What is your favorite language to program in, and why?
2. If you were to create a new programming language from scratch, what would it look like? What would its capabilities be?
3. What do you think the biggest problem with software today is? I.E. quality/bugs, bloatedness, development time, cost, etc?
Regards,
Explosive.
1) Teach him how to search.
If he doesn't know what's out there already, he's destined to repeat a lot of work that's already been done. I've seen accounts of this happening with other child geniuses, who rediscovered or reproved theorems that had already been proved. Such wasted effort!
Give him a detailed tutorial on the usage and benefits of Google and Deja... he'll save himself lots of time, and might even learn something new.
2) Teach Him To Write
Think of some of the most admired geniuses today... are they solitary? Do they work in a vacuum? No, they are capable of explaining their ideas to others, and able to convey their discoveries to the common man through writing. Darwin wrote, Einstien wrote.
It's like the tree falling in the forest question... if a genius makes a discovery, and nobody knows about it, then was a discovery really made? Teach him how to explain his discoveries in writing, and not only will there be a record of it, he will make his knowledge accessible to the masses.
3) Teach Him To Teach
I suppose this point is closely related to number (2), but teaching has an extra element -- a social element. Let him know that he will encounter people who know less than him, or are not as intelligent as him. Let him know that his duty is to educate the masses, to pass his genius around. Society will become a better place because of it. Teaching is more a social skill than a technical skill... you must be able to interact with and encourage people in order to teach them.
It's important... imagine what the world would be like if the smart people refused to explaing their theories in easy-to-understand terms. Nobody would know anything!
In short: teach him to search, write, and teach... then he has the potential to be the next great genius!