NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/comp/org/eff/talk/7984

Text File | 1992-12-23 | 1.6 KB | 34 lines

Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!spool.mu.edu!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!network.ucsd.edu!qualcom.qualcomm.com!walter!att-out!cbfsb!cbnewsg.cb.att.com!cooper
From: [e-mail] (Ralph 'Hairy' Moonen)
Subject: Re: Licencing of computer professionals
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: AT&T
References: <bhayden.724494481@teal> <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 12:00:36 GMT
Lines: 22

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Louis Giliberto) writes:

> At any rate, this breaks down into one basic argument:
>
> Are "computer professionals" more like engineers or mathematicians?

Both, and more. Sometimes, when coding, I feel like an engineer, sometimes I
have to do difficult calculations on algorithms and feel like a mathematician,
but allways, when coding I feel like an artist, who is to deliver a binary
sculpture, and offer new insights in a problem. I think all good science
is Art, in that it needs creativity and expression of thoughts to be brought
to a good end.

I just started teaching my girlfriend C, because she wanted to be able
to control our computer. I gave her the K&R bible, and while she didn't
understand all of it, she got on very quickly, with me helping her along.
The remarks she made during the sessions we had (and still have) were all
along the lines of "Gee, it's so logical, it's confusing"  and "Doing this
makes me feel so creative, like an artist." But she's getting the hang of it
now. I wonder if a lot of programmers feel like artists?

--Ralph