Programming prodigy passes away at 16 • Hacker News Board

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#61

Post by rolypoly » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 4:59 PM UTC

They are naming their IT Parks after her. That is absurd and completely illogical. I guess Pakistani will soon include her doings and sayings in their Computer Science courses.

[1]http://digg.com/newsbar/Technology/lahore_i_t_park_now_named...

[2]http://tribune.com.pk/story/321964/k/

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#62

Post by Karunamon » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:20 PM UTC

andreadallera wrote: post #26

fiaz wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you care to elaborate on your last statement? EDIT: Actually never mind. This is only going to end up bad. You have your opinion and I have mine.

> You have your opinion and I have mine. So let's not try to have a discussion about it? I've never understood that frame of mind.

Probably because he/she recognizes that any such discussion will not lead to any possibly productive output and instead be a pointless match of tilting at windmills.

For what it's worth, I'm getting the same vibe from you. Your first contribution to this thread was basically taking a big steaming dump over this young lady's accomplishments. Why would you do that? It didn't add anything to the discussion, and instead makes you look like a colossal jerk. If this were not HN, I'd think you were just plain trolling.

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#63

Post by pooriaazimi » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:20 PM UTC

andreadallera wrote: post #12

I hate to write this, since the tragic happening but really, the hype is widely unjustified. I started programming when I was 8, I know a lot of people that started meddling around with computer around the same age, and I was born a decade before her which, in computer years, is like a century. Everything programming related was a hundred times more difficult to accomplish than it is now - I wrote assembly on a C64,…

   Worst defense is a bad defense.

I'm sorry that she had to die (really, I was shocked when I read she had died), but dying at a young age does not make one prodigy. She was (I'm certain of that) an extremely bright and self-confident kid. But better leave it at that. Saying that she was the greatest programmer of all time or the greatest person that had ever walked this earth is just insulting her memory, and belittles her achievements (which is much greater than mine's when I was her age).

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#64

Post by beachgeek » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:23 PM UTC

rolypoly wrote: post #61

They are naming their IT Parks after her. That is absurd and completely illogical. I guess Pakistani will soon include her doings and sayings in their Computer Science courses. [1] http://digg.com/newsbar/Technology/lahore_i_t_park_now_named... [2] http://tribune.com.pk/story/321964/k/

It does seem like they are over doing it a bit. But this is a country with a serious shortage of real heroes.

If other Pakistani kids are motivated and inspired by her life I think its worth the renaming, adulation etc.

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#65

Post by sp332 » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:27 PM UTC

apinstein wrote: post #22

I remember reading about this girl years ago. Like some of the other commenters I wasn't that surprised about her MSFT certification. I mean even a 10-year old can geek out on that kind of stuff, it wasn't that notable. However I just noticed this quote from her, which is so much more remarkable for a 10-year old: "If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind," she sai…

When I was young (8-9 years old) everyone - peers, teachers, and parents - told me to stop being so outspoken. "Think before you speak" was drilled into me for years, continuously. It was probably the worst advice I have ever received.

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#66

Post by Karunamon » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:28 PM UTC

rolypoly wrote: post #61

They are naming their IT Parks after her. That is absurd and completely illogical. I guess Pakistani will soon include her doings and sayings in their Computer Science courses. [1] http://digg.com/newsbar/Technology/lahore_i_t_park_now_named... [2] http://tribune.com.pk/story/321964/k/

It's absurd that parks are named after notable people? What?

Someone explain the bile and hatred in this thread to me. I don't get it.

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#67

Post by AmadKamali » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:33 PM UTC

Firstly,I think the real reason why the girl became a media celebrity was not her Microsoft exam credentials or programming ability. It was that she came out as a really smart, intelligent,sweet, eloquent and mature person in every interview she gave after hitting the headlines for being invited by Bill Gates. I wish some of these interviews had subtitles so you could have a better understanding of what I mean. For example when asked(at the age of nine years)what her really outstanding achievement was, she replied that it was her ability to gift a computer lab to a girls school of her native village(after winning awards and grants etc). When asked what she wanted to do next, she said she would like to start "digicon" valley in Pakistan like silicon valley in US. And may more like that.

Secondly, she didn't belong to elite class at all. Her father is a retired Army officer, which means essentially middle class. She was transferred to a better/elite School only after becoming a celebrity.

Here is one interview which is entirely in English: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCUbRsab6iQ&feature=relat...

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#68

Post by klausjensen » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 5:55 PM UTC

"If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind," she said. "If you think shy, you act shy. If you think confident you act confident. Therefore never let shyness conquer your mind."

Pretty close to my motto: "What Would You Do If You Were Not Afraid?".

Taken from "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Dr. Spencer Johnsson.

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#69

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 6:06 PM UTC

Karunamon wrote: post #66

rolypoly wrote: post #61

They are naming their IT Parks after her. That is absurd and completely illogical. I guess Pakistani will soon include her doings and sayings in their Computer Science courses. [1] http://digg.com/newsbar/Technology/lahore_i_t_park_now_named... [2] http://tribune.com.pk/story/321964/k/

It's absurd that parks are named after notable people? What? Someone explain the bile and hatred in this thread to me. I don't get it.

[deleted]

Re: Programming prodigy passes away at 16

#70

Post by pbsd » Sun, Jan 15, 2012, 6:10 PM UTC

sp332 wrote: post #65

apinstein wrote: post #22

I remember reading about this girl years ago. Like some of the other commenters I wasn't that surprised about her MSFT certification. I mean even a 10-year old can geek out on that kind of stuff, it wasn't that notable. However I just noticed this quote from her, which is so much more remarkable for a 10-year old: "If you want to do something big in your life, you must remember that shyness is only the mind," she sai…

When I was young (8-9 years old) everyone - peers, teachers, and parents - told me to stop being so outspoken. "Think before you speak" was drilled into me for years, continuously. It was probably the worst advice I have ever received.

"Think before you speak" is always good advice. The "confidence of the mind" referred above does not mean that you should shit out everything that pops in your head.