While I agree with your overall point about ones and zeroes having little in relation to dying languages, I disagree with the idea that this doesn't matter at all in terms of computer languages. The idea here is that some way of organizing an idea in a spoken language could help organize an idea in a computer language.
Computer languages have evolved constantly. Assembly, C, Java, etc all are ways to represent zeroes and ones to the programmer essentially, but they all organize it differently. I believe that most computer languages today that aren't zeroes and ones directly developed with an English speaker in mind. How do you know for certain that a programming language using Chinese characters, for instance, won't prove more efficient? Especially for Chinese speakers. I don't consider Chinese a dying language by any means, but it offers a different structuring of ideas. Dying languages might also offer a different way to represent things you can do with zeroes and ones. I have no idea myself without studying these languages themselves.
So, while I do sort-of agree with your point, I don't think you should completely count out the usefulness of obscure languages out when talking about computer programming languages.
Needless to say, this isn't all he's written. There are other books of his that are extremely addictive too. Fevre Dream is a great story about steamboating on the Mississippi and...vampires. The characters and plot are quite complex and I feel that it is as gripping as The Song of Ice and Fire.
I recommend it to help carry you over to when the next book in the series is released. He has a few other books, but I haven't read them yet. I've heard some great things about his short stories (Song for Lyra, Sandkings) but haven't read them yet.
Though this isn't good for everyone, you could always consider teaching CS. There is a large demand for CS teachers (especially in high schools), and not many out there are very good at it. If you know the stuff, have an interest in it, and have some ideas on how to teach it better, it might be a good idea to try it. Several universities have programs where if you already have a 4 year degree, they can tack on a masters in teaching with only one more year of school time.
Of course, don't do it for the money. Teaching usually doesn't pay that well (except you get the summers off. That's kinda nice.)
You have a good point there. I don't know about any of you, but I like having the more complicated things done for me. I don't browse the web from the command line: I like web browsers, I don't want to take the time to learn linux: I'd prefer the ease of push-button installing that is in windows. Sure, it may make me look dumb, but I can move on to other things like homework instead of figuring out why my video card doesn't work in KDE when it is technically supported. Linux just isn't as easy to use for the common user as windows is. It isn't the bad attitude from the linux users that is keeping it from the mainstream, but the problem lies elsewhere. Get linux to the level where my grandmother can use it with little problem, and then you have a mainstream OS.
hehe, perhaps fixing the device to add 20 MPH to the speed limit or something.
But the real question is how to deal with devices that fail. What if the device suddenly read 0 MPH as the max, and suddenly you couldn't drive the thing to the shop to get it fixed?
I think what we have here is a case of over-generalization. D&D does indeed need a certain mentality, but to say all players of it, "don't have many friends" is about as valid as saying everyone who lives in the mountains are hermits.
D&D is a way for friends to get together, and it is thought-provoking. A good game has players solve puzzles and get their way through a situation alive...and so on and so forth.
Back to the review. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I hear it is pretty bad. Hopefully the Middle Earth movies are MUCH better...
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While I agree with your overall point about ones and zeroes having little in relation to dying languages, I disagree with the idea that this doesn't matter at all in terms of computer languages. The idea here is that some way of organizing an idea in a spoken language could help organize an idea in a computer language.
Computer languages have evolved constantly. Assembly, C, Java, etc all are ways to represent zeroes and ones to the programmer essentially, but they all organize it differently. I believe that most computer languages today that aren't zeroes and ones directly developed with an English speaker in mind. How do you know for certain that a programming language using Chinese characters, for instance, won't prove more efficient? Especially for Chinese speakers. I don't consider Chinese a dying language by any means, but it offers a different structuring of ideas. Dying languages might also offer a different way to represent things you can do with zeroes and ones. I have no idea myself without studying these languages themselves.
So, while I do sort-of agree with your point, I don't think you should completely count out the usefulness of obscure languages out when talking about computer programming languages.
Just trying to offer a counterpoint.
Needless to say, this isn't all he's written. There are other books of his that are extremely addictive too. Fevre Dream is a great story about steamboating on the Mississippi and...vampires. The characters and plot are quite complex and I feel that it is as gripping as The Song of Ice and Fire.
I recommend it to help carry you over to when the next book in the series is released. He has a few other books, but I haven't read them yet. I've heard some great things about his short stories (Song for Lyra, Sandkings) but haven't read them yet.
Though this isn't good for everyone, you could always consider teaching CS. There is a large demand for CS teachers (especially in high schools), and not many out there are very good at it. If you know the stuff, have an interest in it, and have some ideas on how to teach it better, it might be a good idea to try it. Several universities have programs where if you already have a 4 year degree, they can tack on a masters in teaching with only one more year of school time.
Of course, don't do it for the money. Teaching usually doesn't pay that well (except you get the summers off. That's kinda nice.)
And that is my 2.
But the real question is how to deal with devices that fail. What if the device suddenly read 0 MPH as the max, and suddenly you couldn't drive the thing to the shop to get it fixed?
I think what we have here is a case of over-generalization. D&D does indeed need a certain mentality, but to say all players of it, "don't have many friends" is about as valid as saying everyone who lives in the mountains are hermits.
D&D is a way for friends to get together, and it is thought-provoking. A good game has players solve puzzles and get their way through a situation alive...and so on and so forth.
Back to the review. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I hear it is pretty bad. Hopefully the Middle Earth movies are MUCH better...
http://www.lordoftheringsmovie.com