| (i write this purely from memory...that's not to brag but to excuse any inevitable inacuracies) about 6 months ago as i was searching through google's available video lectures on technology i happened upon a lecture video in which a geeky MIT comp-sci professor gave a room full of students his tretise on computer science. He started by saying that it was not a science at all to which i completely agreed immediately. his next point took me slightly longer to accept but in short order i did accept it. he said it really wasn't even aobut computers. he made the point that compuer science is no more aobut computers than geometry is about measuring the earth (gia(geo) meaning earth, and meter to measure)...it was true i realized. he, this man whom i was rapidly giving more and more respect, then without seeming to exert any effort at all produced in me an epiphiany..and i never use that word lightly..epiphiny is a rare occurance..by simply following his lecture notes this man instructs his class to ask three simple questions whenever beginning to learn a new computer language. 1) what are the primatives 2) what are the means of combination 3) what are the means of abstraction i have never looked at code development the same. he went on to demonstrate the basic ins and outs of lisp. fast forward 6 months. i find myself at twin cities code camp at a lecture given by a member of this forum. it's on Arc which is a derivative of lisp(you all knew that right?) to my delight(silly of me to say that, he doesn't know me from Adam..but i am delighted) he briefly references the same three questions which so profoundly impacted my perspective on developement six months earlier. i've heard it said that it's a good idea to learn one new language each year. this year i've learned two so far..transact sql, and c#...so why not try for three? Arc, here i come. |
