The fascination with computer science
And if this is off topic, then I don't know what is on topic for this board. [I may begin to ramble though https://www.sharkyforums.com/images/.../2005/08/2.gif]
Why do we like programming? Most people I've met, short of my those who become my friends, find technical details boring. Who would ever want to write this inexplicable, confusing mass of strange characters? My computer does what it should do, so why should I care? That's the attitude.
For those of us who find programming enjoyable, what makes us so different? What separates programmers, physicists and mathematicians from the rest is an intrinsic need to bring order from chaos; to organize the disorganized.
To us, or at least to me, the world seems full of vague generalizations and simplications. Inefficient, disorganized, or possibly non-existant systems of doing work. Each one, a problem waiting to be solved.
The joy of writing anything from a small script to an enterprise application comes from the theory of how it COULD work. We fantasize over designing a new program, but rarely do we enjoy the end result of our work.
When was the last time someone came to this form showing off their working script? It's the problem-solving within that we crave.
While logic and computer science go hand in hand, I've come to realize that the same concepts cannot be applied to reality. I often tell friends and colleagues that while my desk might be a mess, and my room a diaster, I am mentally organized. Pure logic is wonderful for theory, but deadly for life.
As Seven of Nine once unknowningly demonstrated, fun cannot be regulated. Love cannot be measured. As humans we need spontaneity and disorder to survive. [I remember reading a parody about an Apple programmer who had a big red question-mark on the side of his computer. He said he walked around the office with bare feet to allow his creative thoughts to flow.]
The next time you're writing an application, think about what you are working towards. For every bit of effort you put into organizing the world around you, you will have to fight to keep that organization. And unless you plan on being around forever, it won't be possible to organize the entire universe and keep it that way.
And that's the unfortunate truth. Very disturbing for me, since what pushes me forward every day has always been the knowledge that I'm working towards some attainable goal. A goal which can never be reached or sustained.
(Wow, did I ever ramble!)
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I miss Off Topic. http://dev.www.sharkyforums.forums.relay.cool/
[This message has been edited by Alphathree (edited July 18, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by Alphathree (edited July 18, 2001).]
