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The Metaprogrammer

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Re: The Metaprogrammer

#151

Post by GoToRO »

Nursie wrote: post #107
GoToRO wrote: post #102

There are things that you will understand only when you have become a very good programmer. What this article says is "I have no idea how that must be" together with "There are so-so programmers that imitate very good programmers without knowing why.". I agree with the last one, not with the first one. For example the more time you spend programming, the better you get but also the more important it becomes to have a…

Definitely with you on the chair! The other tools, so long as they're adequate, don't need to be that shiny... IMHO

yes, it depends on what you actually do.

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#152

Post by oz »

>You might have thought that metaprogramming meant macros, type introspection, that kind of thing. Nope, I'm hijacking the word for today:

Not hijacking. Overloading. ;)

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#153

Post by oz »

protomyth wrote: post #111
V-2 wrote: post #34

"If they don't have the shiniest Apple MacBook then they can't work. Never mind that their job involves typing letters into a text file, something you could have done on CP/M back in '78" I don't want an Apple at all, but I do want a beefy machine because my job doesn't only involve typing text you see - for instance I also need to build the result of all that typing, and if it takes ages, guess what, the time I wast…

>> "To insult a new hire by providing only a single 4:3 monitor? I can't work like this." > I can work like this, but I prefer two monitors. How much does a monitor cost anyway? Having two displays is much more convenient. I now prefer a LG 21:9 34". They are fairly cheap, have a good quality screen for long viewing, and the extra width is a real help. I wouldn't buy the thunderbolt version as it really doesn't do th…

I have an Asus 21:9 29", 2560x1080, not 3440x1440 like the LG you mention (which I've considered). The extra width is nice, and the aspect ratio is perfect when watching movies, but I find I need more vertical pixels.

Instead of the 34", wouldn't make sense to just go 4K (3824x2160) and get it over with? You're getting more vertical AND horizontal pixels. Personally, I'm salivating at the Seiki SM40UNP (40"). Anything smaller at 4K resolution and you'll need display scaling, negating the size gain. I don't think my 2013 ultrabook can drive it at 60Hz, but there are apocryphal reports that I may be able to eke out 50Hz.

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#154

Post by gaius »

kabdib wrote: post #123

My group at Microsoft was notorious for not spending money on hardware. I did some math. If the money they spent halved my build time (easily possible at the time, since we were on spinning rust and they wouldn't spring for SSDs "because everyone will want one, and then what?") then they could afford to buy me a new computer every couple of weeks, more often if you computed the $ lost from the average imputed load (o…

At a previous employer, one of my colleagues needed a bigger HD. He spent months struggling to get it and ultimately gave up and made do.

But I was wise to the ways of this company, and I also needed a bigger HD, so I simply requisitioned a whole new PC and it arrived the next day. Its about whatever makes the paperwork easier...

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#155

Post by pasbesoin »

pjc50 wrote: post #116
V-2 wrote: post #34

"If they don't have the shiniest Apple MacBook then they can't work. Never mind that their job involves typing letters into a text file, something you could have done on CP/M back in '78" I don't want an Apple at all, but I do want a beefy machine because my job doesn't only involve typing text you see - for instance I also need to build the result of all that typing, and if it takes ages, guess what, the time I wast…

The single 4:3 monitor is rather like the famous Van Halen rider about "no brown M&Ms": it's an opportunity to red-flag the employer. Monitors are cheap, at most one or two developer-days of salary. If you can't get a monitor, what happens when you need to buy some more specific piece of equipment? A previous employer had an extremely liberal policy on letting us just buy anything that cost Previously I've had to do…

It's also a signal as to who's in control of the development process. (Hint: Not the developers.)

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#156

Post by protomyth »

oz wrote: post #153
protomyth wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> "To insult a new hire by providing only a single 4:3 monitor? I can't work like this." > I can work like this, but I prefer two monitors. How much does a monitor cost anyway? Having two displays is much more convenient. I now prefer a LG 21:9 34". They are fairly cheap, have a good quality screen for long viewing, and the extra width is a real help. I wouldn't buy the thunderbolt version as it really doesn't do th…

I have an Asus 21:9 29", 2560x1080, not 3440x1440 like the LG you mention (which I've considered). The extra width is nice, and the aspect ratio is perfect when watching movies, but I find I need more vertical pixels. Instead of the 34", wouldn't make sense to just go 4K (3824x2160) and get it over with? You're getting more vertical AND horizontal pixels. Personally, I'm salivating at the Seiki SM40UNP (40"). Anythin…

Well, when I bought it before the 4K was available, but LG is supposed to have a 4K equivalent coming in 21:9 which would have the same vertical of 2,160 pixels (giving 5,040 x 2,160). I'll get that when it comes out because I like ultra-wide versus buying 2 monitors.

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#157

Post by catmanjan »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #42
catmanjan wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, all these things are tools of the trade - tradesmen spend money on the right tools for the job because that (and experience) is what separates them from the DIY-ers

on the other hand only a poor craftsman blames their tools.

A good craftsman never has to, because he has the right tools ;)

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#158

Post by wtbob »

gbog wrote: post #138
wtbob wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Building, editing, testing, all of that is better done remotely with ssh and gnu screen or similar. Why? I have a full command line suite running on my laptop, because I'm running Linux. Why would I log in elsewhere, when I can run stuff locally?

For many reasons. The remote server is in a data center, supposedly better maintained than your PC, it has backups, RAIDx all the stuff. If you automate some tasks, or run long-lasting scripts, it is much more reliable. Also, keeping it in the terminal forces you to use the right tools, e.g. vim/emacs instead of the good old Dreamweaver...

> Also, keeping it in the terminal forces you to use the right tools, e.g. vim/emacs instead of the good old Dreamweaver...

I run emacs locally. In X. That way I can browse the web, view PDFs & images, play Tetris in colour &c. I wonder how advanced the nethack mode is these days …

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#159

Post by JackMorgan »

sagischwarz wrote: post #31

This effect is observable not only in the programming community, but in many others. Best example would be photography, where people spend much more time discussing their equipment and the newest lenses instead of going out and actually take pictures. I had to experience this for myself when searching for new hobbies. With most of them, I spent most time with the meta, e.g., which fountain pen to use for my writing o…

I've noticed in myself the opposite trend: an almost perverse desire to use the worst possible physical tools, so to better distance myself from the "posers". I've happily programmed for hours a day for years on a $300 Acer Aspire One. I still use the same kneadable eraser bought 15 years ago in a cheap tienda. I'll use the cheapest brushes and crappiest car. I've got a cheap guitar, and a cheaper banjo, despite playing in shows regularly. It's like I want to prove to myself that I'm "doing it" enough that I don't need the fancy equipment. But I think it's still just vanity - just in the other direction.

Re: The Metaprogrammer

#160

Post by zachsnow »

sagischwarz wrote: post #31

This effect is observable not only in the programming community, but in many others. Best example would be photography, where people spend much more time discussing their equipment and the newest lenses instead of going out and actually take pictures. I had to experience this for myself when searching for new hobbies. With most of them, I spent most time with the meta, e.g., which fountain pen to use for my writing o…

Falling down hurts but it's how you get better go out n skate!
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