User:Ssstephen/Reading/Real Programmers

ABEND

An abnormal end or abend is an abnormal termination of software, or a program crash. Is a crash really abnormal? What is a normal termination?

TRASH-80

At the time of this writing, derogatory slang for the TRS-80 desktop computer. While the original "Real Men Dont Eat Quiche" is obviously satire, this one feels a bit more like it believes itself so far it's a bit weird.

Programmers don't need comments: the code is obvious.

Ok maybe it's not taking itself so seriously and I just dont get it. Or maybe its because it's 41 years old. The idea of code being obvious is actually a really good one though, and obviously part of the structured programming ideals this is claiming to tear down. Make it so less comments are needed.

As all Real Programmers know, the only useful data structure is the array. Strings, lists, structures, sets -- these are all special cases of arrays and and can be treated that way just as easily without messing up your programing language with all sorts of complications.

When is it right to open the box and look at the underlying structure? We have these symbols and categories that help us to navigate the world, and if we always remove them we wont get anything done. A computer could be controlled with an electron gun. But to blindly accept the inherited categories assumes they are good enough, and often they aren't. How do you know which ones are good enough or good-enougher than the other ones? Which black box should we open, is it just Deal or No Deal?

when it gets right down to it, Unix is a glorified video game. People don't do Serious Work on Unix systems: they send jokes around the world on USENET and write adventure games and research papers.

Maybe still true.

OS/370

The IBM System/370 (S/370) is a model range of IBM mainframe computers announced on June 30, 1970, as the successors to the System/360 family. The series mostly maintains backward compatibility with the S/360, allowing an easy migration path for customers; this, plus improved performance, were the dominant themes of the product announcement. In September 1990, the System/370 line was replaced with the System/390.

Back then, memory was memory -- it didn't go away when the power went off. Today, memory either forgets things when you don't want it to, or remembers things long after they're better forgotten

Unfortunately, no Real Programmer would ever use a computer whose operating system is called SmallTalk, and would certainly not talk to the computer with a mouse.

Maybe still a stereotype. What's wrong with a mouse. What's wrong with talking. Where do the 20th century assumptions stop and the limitations or modes of interacting with the machine begin. Is a macbook a computer? Is Google Search a useful tool?

TECO

According to Murphy [the original developer of the software], the initial acronym was Tape Editor and Corrector because "punched paper tape was the only medium for the storage of program source on our PDP-1. There was no hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape (magtape), or network." By the time TECO was made available for general use, the name had become "Text Editor and Corrector", since even the PDP-1 version by then supported other media. It was subsequently modified by many other people and is a direct ancestor of Emacs, which was originally implemented in TECO macros.

SUPERZAP

Some of the most awesome Real Programmers of all work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Still a thing! 41 years later. But space is enticing I guess, and the story of it for kids is so awe inspiring, it's hard not to admire it. And the strong rational thought, if I am a computer programmer I can work for NASA and send people to the moon. How can you convince a seven-year old to make a valuable contribution to society like loving the people around them and working and living together without oppression and hatred?

As you can tell, many of the world's Real Programmers work for the U.S. Government, mainly the Defense Department. This is as it should be.

How can you convince anyone of anything when the lads are also trying to convince them?

For a while, it seemed that ADA was destined to become a language that went against all the precepts of Real Programming -- a language with structure, a language with data types, strong typing, and semicolons. In short, a language designed to cripple the creativity of the typical Real Programmer. Fortunately, [ADA] has enough interesting features to make it approachable: it's incredibly complex, includes methods for messing with the operating system and rearranging memory

That's fortunate, isn't it ADA?

He is constantly amazed that his employer actually pays him to do what he would be doing for fun anyway, although he is careful not to express this opinion out loud.

Also still a reality/story; "job satisfaction". Why is it something we look for? If your job isn't satisfying, who's fault is it, if anyone's? How can more people be more satisfied with their jobs? How can less people have jobs? How can jobs be more satisfying? Should people be satisfied?

At the beach, the Real Programmer is the one drawing flowcharts in the sand.

I love this one.

A Real Programmer goes to a disco to watch the light show.

Heeeeey lights are fun.

Taped to the wall is a line-printer Snoopy calender for the year 1969.

This was the entry point to this text by the way from here.

Real Programmers write programs, not documentation. Leave that to the maintainence people.

Breakfast and move things.

Breakfast and move people?

The Real Programmer is capable of working 30, 40, even 50 hours at a stretch, under intense pressure.

Honestly I think maybe I used to be this guy a little bit :,( Can definitely relate it is a very harmful pressure that can come to exist through internal/external influences.

In fact, he prefers it that way.

And this took a while to get past, and still shows up sometimes.

As long as there are ill-defined goals, bizarre bugs, and unrealistic schedules, there will be Real Programmers willing to jump in and Solve The Problem, saving the documentation for later.