Comments on: Writing vs. Hacking

By: pts

pts — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 18:51:53 +0000

See, but I’m not! This whole thing has called into question a skill I thought I had, but perhaps actually don’t!

I mean, I am a snot, but not for this particular reason.

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 17:46:36 +0000

You are a hopeless snot, Pts, for being able to write so easily. I hope you can back that up with your published works.

Chances are, I am exactly the Erin you think I am – and I have set up your blog feed on livejournal so I remember to read it.

By: pts

pts — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:13:42 +0000

Well, clearly, we’re comparing apples and oranges. And anyway, I’m not talking about great literature, I’m talking about stylistically appropriate, compelling prose, which seems easy to me but I guess is hard for some people. What seems likely is that I’m giving myself way too much credit.

Are you that Erin, by the way?

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:22:23 +0000

I have no idea what MJK is talking about.

But after talking with a computer science friend I’ve come to the conclusion that this is like asking, “Which is harder, Math or English?” It’s a very hard comparison. Writing functional, elegant code is just as difficult as writing great literature.

By: MJK

MJK — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 09:09:46 +0000

I disagree with “Erin”.

A piece of code can in fact be “correct” and work but still be completely wrong.

For example, say you have an embedded system, placed in a remote location, that will only serve one client at a time. The server’s purpose is to simply do menial things, like restart the system, do a software update (small, less than 5 megs). Is it wise to implement an object-oriented, multi-threaded application, with an event loop that you yourself coded? Sounds like overkill. It may have worked for years but to do so seems foolish—especially when no one wrote anything down and *I* have to add to it.

Of course, at this point, I think we can make a distinction between programming and software architecture.

If it makes you feel any better: 1) I had a C in that class, too, before I dropped it, 2) It is a hard class, even for CS, 3) Barak was a jerk; the Irish can have him.

By: pts

pts — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 03:58:05 +0000

Alright, Erin, if that is your name, I see your point. I still think it’s fallacious (or at least smacks of fallacy) to say that “it’s hard for me, therefore it’s objectively harder,” though.

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:35:59 +0000

As usual, you’re wrong on this one. Although I’m not a programmer myself and my HTML is weak – this guy has a point. I think it’s easier to tell when you’ve programmed something wrong – your software/game/webpage won’t work in a really objective way. If you write poorly, it’s most likely subjectively bad.

Writing very elegant code may be an art (an art only other programmers can appreciate), but writing functional code is much easier.

By: pts

pts — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 01:40:26 +0000

Maybe I’m just saying writing is easier because I can fundamentally DO it. If he’s talking about brilliant literariness then I’m just an all-around idiot.

By: Gabe

Gabe — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 23:42:34 +0000

Certainly, for Paul Graham it is. He’s pretty much a badass. But even for a humble sysadmin like myself- most of the time, programming IS easier than writing. Either it works or it doesn’t and you get to define what “works” means. I’m a fair to middling writer, if that can be defined by “is capable of writing vaguely coherent prose,” but while I never suffer from anything approximating writer’s block while I’m programming, it’s a constant problem whenever I attempt to write anything.