No, I didn't miss the point. I just don't see how this is any different than a normal development mindset. The implication was that "build it yourself" was a different mindset.
Yes, they haven't sold out. But they're not making much money, either. Craiglist is not helping their users any by refusing to "sell out" even a little bit. Have you used Craigslist? It is a very basic site and it is often difficult to find the information you want. And, while Joel Spolsky feels that innovative web apps should be impossible to use, the rest of us realize the value in spending a few $$$ to increase usability for thousands and thousands of users.
Usually when something is an the extreme of a spectrum, it's not right.
Are these guys serious? How can they say this in the wake of huge, huge increases in usage of autocomplete, drag and drop, tagging, etc. which are all designed to make things easier on the user (especially the first two). Regardless of how well these things accomplish this task, it's absolutely 100% clear that (a) users like these, and (b) developers are willing to spend extra time to implement these complex controls.
So, perhaps the real point is that systems are getting more complex. But if you think that means that UIs should be more complex, I think it's you who won't be going very far (although you'll probably get play on slashdot). Look at google. A very complex system. The interface? A text box and a button.
Would you 2.0 like to view my traffic statistics 2.0? I make 10 AJAX requests 2.0 per second when a visitor 2.0 is viewing a page on my site 2.0. It is perfectly legitimate 2.0, I assure you.
Is that what you want to do? The reason a CS degree does not prepare you "enough" for programming is because CS is not the same thing as programming. It is one aspect of a huge field. If programming is what you want to do, your CS studies should have taught you how to learn in this area. The rest of your development is up to you and your employer(s).
Slashdot's moderation and meta-moderation offer one example of getting useful metadata in a non-trusted environment.
Why, oh why, would you include that at the end of the summary? Even if there weren't horrible issues with the moderation system (there are), this particular audience is going to rip that comment apart.
You see, this is one of those slashdot comments where the author thinks something through and then represents it as if he/she had direct experience. You obviously do not know what you're talking about. People deactivate from frats and sororities because they or their parents cannot afford the dues. I have met plenty of people who hate their frat, but don't deactivate because their daddy pays the bill and they want the line item on their resume.
I guess times have changed... In 8th grade, if I would have logged into a *computer* to show someone all of my "friends" I would have gotten a smacked upside the head, laughed at and then promptly called a nerd.
What would they have thought about you being on Slashdot at 8am?
You're splitting hairs. I have many friends who deactivated and never saw their sorority sisters or fraternity brothers again. If you don't pay, you don't get the friends. You may think it's worth it, but that doesn't change the facts.
This is what I do, and it worked great until spammers and worms started sending emails to random usernames at my domain, e.g. john@mydomain.com (my name ain't john), sue@mydomain.com (ain't sue either), etc.
This is seriously the most insightful comment I've ever read on Slashdot (although, perhaps that is not saying a whole lot). I can't mod your comment because I've participated in this discussion, so I wanted to at least give you kudos through a reply. It is not easy to read between the lines like you did and see what he is really asking for here, which is not advice, but rather an distribution of culpability, as you point out.
You are right: the situation is clear-cut. The OP tries to make it sound muddy, but it is not. He has identified the pros and cons. The con is his personal cognitive dissonance and how he will have to deal with resolving it. This is something internally punishing and not something outsiders can measure.
Very insightful comment, and I think you are spot-on.
One thing however is absolutely essential: that you question those moral principles. They might be wrong. Some of them are wrong. Find them, weed them out.
-1, Redundant! We already have plenty of comments telling him to stop developing Flash.
I'm curious to know how developers in the Slashdot community handle situations in which they are given a project that rubs against their moral borders. I was recently hired as a Flash developer
Woah there, fella. No need to continue. Get out as soon as you can.
Having choices and having a bad design are two completely different things. Use a layered approach to require intent in order to change minor or potentially dangerous options.
Slashdot Mirror
Lots of people were doing this. But there are a lot of factors that make it "all the rage", the least of which is the marketing term.
No, I didn't miss the point. I just don't see how this is any different than a normal development mindset. The implication was that "build it yourself" was a different mindset.
So, um, how does using GWT to avoid browser quirks and the need to know JavaScript fall in the "build it yourself" philosophy?
Yes, they haven't sold out. But they're not making much money, either. Craiglist is not helping their users any by refusing to "sell out" even a little bit. Have you used Craigslist? It is a very basic site and it is often difficult to find the information you want. And, while Joel Spolsky feels that innovative web apps should be impossible to use, the rest of us realize the value in spending a few $$$ to increase usability for thousands and thousands of users.
Usually when something is an the extreme of a spectrum, it's not right.
Are these guys serious? How can they say this in the wake of huge, huge increases in usage of autocomplete, drag and drop, tagging, etc. which are all designed to make things easier on the user (especially the first two). Regardless of how well these things accomplish this task, it's absolutely 100% clear that (a) users like these, and (b) developers are willing to spend extra time to implement these complex controls.
So, perhaps the real point is that systems are getting more complex. But if you think that means that UIs should be more complex, I think it's you who won't be going very far (although you'll probably get play on slashdot). Look at google. A very complex system. The interface? A text box and a button.
Would you 2.0 like to view my traffic statistics 2.0? I make 10 AJAX requests 2.0 per second when a visitor 2.0 is viewing a page on my site 2.0. It is perfectly legitimate 2.0, I assure you.
Is that what you want to do? The reason a CS degree does not prepare you "enough" for programming is because CS is not the same thing as programming. It is one aspect of a huge field. If programming is what you want to do, your CS studies should have taught you how to learn in this area. The rest of your development is up to you and your employer(s).
Holy shit that's funny. Mod parent up!
Um, actually that's not ironic at all. By not looking it up, the summary is the epitome of truthiness.
However, it is perhaps ironic that you misused "irony" in your comment.
The fine is getting modded -1, Redundant.
The TSA (Thousands Standing Around) do a decent job themselves.
just a form of exception handling that any programmer with half-a-brain could implement.
We obviously work at different companies.
half dupe!
What's the point of this kind of research when terrorists can just make their myspace friends only?!
Slashdot's moderation and meta-moderation offer one example of getting useful metadata in a non-trusted environment.
Why, oh why, would you include that at the end of the summary? Even if there weren't horrible issues with the moderation system (there are), this particular audience is going to rip that comment apart.
You see, this is one of those slashdot comments where the author thinks something through and then represents it as if he/she had direct experience. You obviously do not know what you're talking about. People deactivate from frats and sororities because they or their parents cannot afford the dues. I have met plenty of people who hate their frat, but don't deactivate because their daddy pays the bill and they want the line item on their resume.
I guess times have changed... In 8th grade, if I would have logged into a *computer* to show someone all of my "friends" I would have gotten a smacked upside the head, laughed at and then promptly called a nerd.
What would they have thought about you being on Slashdot at 8am?
You're splitting hairs. I have many friends who deactivated and never saw their sorority sisters or fraternity brothers again. If you don't pay, you don't get the friends. You may think it's worth it, but that doesn't change the facts.
Obligatory Jon Stewart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNbOG4t31FA
4 in 7 journalists addicted to putting meaningless statistics in headlines?
This is what I do, and it worked great until spammers and worms started sending emails to random usernames at my domain, e.g. john@mydomain.com (my name ain't john), sue@mydomain.com (ain't sue either), etc.
This is seriously the most insightful comment I've ever read on Slashdot (although, perhaps that is not saying a whole lot). I can't mod your comment because I've participated in this discussion, so I wanted to at least give you kudos through a reply. It is not easy to read between the lines like you did and see what he is really asking for here, which is not advice, but rather an distribution of culpability, as you point out.
You are right: the situation is clear-cut. The OP tries to make it sound muddy, but it is not. He has identified the pros and cons. The con is his personal cognitive dissonance and how he will have to deal with resolving it. This is something internally punishing and not something outsiders can measure.
Very insightful comment, and I think you are spot-on.
One thing however is absolutely essential: that you question those moral principles. They might be wrong. Some of them are wrong. Find them, weed them out.
-1, Redundant! We already have plenty of comments telling him to stop developing Flash.
I'm curious to know how developers in the Slashdot community handle situations in which they are given a project that rubs against their moral borders. I was recently hired as a Flash developer
Woah there, fella. No need to continue. Get out as soon as you can.
My left arm has more dead skin cells than my right index finger.
Having choices and having a bad design are two completely different things. Use a layered approach to require intent in order to change minor or potentially dangerous options.