Weirdly, there are many who leaving MSFT in general. Looks like they are doing something wrong.
The entire industry is experiencing an unusually high Turnover.
New horizons for SPJ
11–20 of 27 posts
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#12I wonder if this is because Microsoft Research is no longer interested in funding his research, or if for whatever reason SPJ is just seeking greener pastures. Either way, it's a blow to MSR - SPJ is such a luminary in the world of Haskell/PLT. Best wishes for whatever he winds up doing next; no doubt it'll be great.
Not necessarily, young blood is always good. Having a single academic dominate the discussion is never good.
Two Haskellers enter a bar. Two hours later both leave more confused than when they entered.
This is what got me with Haskell. Any question is derailed into theory to the point where getting anything done is difficult.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#13Weirdly, there are many who leaving MSFT in general. Looks like they are doing something wrong.
SPJ had a great deal of latitude at MSR Cambridge, he could probably work on almost whatever he wanted. The problem is MSFT is rife with bureaucracy and it is a constant fight to get anything done. MSFT in general and MSR Cambridge specifically has lost a lot of their best people over the last 10 years. AFAIK it is expected to get worse under Christopher Bishop. With the recent win in Excel Lambda it is as probably a good time as any to get out.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#14These chaps always have doors open elsewhere through contacts. I'd expect he'll show up at another major company or university within six months.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#15I know we're not supposed to question these things but the edit to this title made it worse.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not necessarily, young blood is always good. Having a single academic dominate the discussion is never good.
Two Haskellers enter a bar. Two hours later both leave more confused than when they entered. This is what got me with Haskell. Any question is derailed into theory to the point where getting anything done is difficult.
I've shipped stuff written in Haskell almost 2 times... but actually one time.
It's not that bad. Honestly the only reason we shipped it was because the prototype I did in it worked too well.
I had a backup almost ready in time written in C++ in case it got too tricky for others to maintain, and it was a simple component in a larger software stack.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not necessarily, young blood is always good. Having a single academic dominate the discussion is never good.
Two Haskellers enter a bar. Two hours later both leave more confused than when they entered. This is what got me with Haskell. Any question is derailed into theory to the point where getting anything done is difficult.
I would be careful making such generalizations lest you give this vocal minority of haskellers more reason to believe that non-haskellers are luddites (edit: can you use the word "luddite" to refer to people who don't like theory? Probably not but pretend that's what it means).
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not necessarily, young blood is always good. Having a single academic dominate the discussion is never good.
Two Haskellers enter a bar. Two hours later both leave more confused than when they entered. This is what got me with Haskell. Any question is derailed into theory to the point where getting anything done is difficult.
"If your confusion leads you in the right direction, the results can be uncommonly rewarding" --Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (as translated to English)
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Two Haskellers enter a bar. Two hours later both leave more confused than when they entered. This is what got me with Haskell. Any question is derailed into theory to the point where getting anything done is difficult.
I would be careful making such generalizations lest you give this vocal minority of haskellers more reason to believe that non-haskellers are luddites (edit: can you use the word "luddite" to refer to people who don't like theory? Probably not but pretend that's what it means).
I've used Haskell for a few personal projects (GHC 6.8-7.0 timeframe). It is great but I stand by my statement that the community's obsession with complexity (even if it's simpler from a category or maths sense) is the issue. Haskell's community is almost *obsessed* with increasing cognitive load IMO.
I want to make things not argue about the best, or most technically correct, way to make them.
Re: New horizons for SPJ
#20Weirdly, there are many who leaving MSFT in general. Looks like they are doing something wrong.
SPJ had a great deal of latitude at MSR Cambridge, he could probably work on almost whatever he wanted. The problem is MSFT is rife with bureaucracy and it is a constant fight to get anything done. MSFT in general and MSR Cambridge specifically has lost a lot of their best people over the last 10 years. AFAIK it is expected to get worse under Christopher Bishop. With the recent win in Excel Lambda it is as probably a…
This is precisely why SPJ leaving at this time is all the more surprising.