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"Data" Sucks

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Re: "Data" Sucks

#2

Post by brudgers »

In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1]

The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random.

[1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

Re: "Data" Sucks

#3

Post by taeric »

brudgers wrote: post #2

In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1] The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random. [1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

Or code, if you were a lisper. :D

Data is a rather generic term that fits just fine in many contexts taking on different ideas.

Re: "Data" Sucks

#7

Post by drcongo »

brudgers wrote: post #2

In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1] The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random. [1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

The beer hunter? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_%28writer%29

Re: "Data" Sucks

#9

Post by brudgers »

drcongo wrote: post #7
brudgers wrote: post #2

In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1] The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random. [1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

The beer hunter? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_%28writer%29

“No not that one”

Re: "Data" Sucks

#10

Post by IAmBroom »

ssivark wrote: post #6

This is basically the debate between Alan Kay and Rich Hickey... on HN, almost a decade ago :-) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11945722 The key idea is (bare) data -vs- objects (which encapsulate data and let you interpret/interact with it).

No, the key idea is meaningful names versus calling things "x", and defining "x" in the documentation to be "a variable".
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