From 0c9fcca7150b0b791289bcc55d0b81f0b4a2bc06 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mitja Felicijan Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2023 16:55:48 +0100 Subject: Post: Elitist attitudes are sapping all the fun from programming --- ...titudes-are-sapping-the-fun-from-programming.md | 89 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 89 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2023-11-05-elitist-attitudes-are-sapping-the-fun-from-programming.md (limited to '_posts') diff --git a/_posts/2023-11-05-elitist-attitudes-are-sapping-the-fun-from-programming.md b/_posts/2023-11-05-elitist-attitudes-are-sapping-the-fun-from-programming.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7457a7e --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2023-11-05-elitist-attitudes-are-sapping-the-fun-from-programming.md @@ -0,0 +1,89 @@ +--- +title: "Elitist attitudes are sapping all the fun from programming" +permalink: /elitist-attitudes-are-sapping-all-the-fun-from-programming.html +date: 2023-11-05T09:04:28+02:00 +layout: post +type: post +draft: false +--- + +It's always been like that. Maybe it was even worse before, and I am remembering +it with rose-tinted glasses. But from the best that I can remember, it had at +least some roots in reality. If something was objectively bad, you could point +to it. But what I have started noticing recently is that objectivity is not the +only condition to bash on something. More and more, you can use subjective +opinion to say horrible things about technology, language or just a specific +manufacturer. + +And all this has achieved is that I don't really listen to anybody anymore. I +don't care what you think about X or Y. I don't care if you like this language +or that one. I don't care if you prefer Dell to ThinkPad over Macbook. Who gives +a fuck, anyway? If you can do your job on it, why even care about this stuff at +all. And if you can't, buy a different machine. + +It's like the politics weren't enough. Now the same tribalism is here as well. C +developers hating on Rust. JavaScript developers laughing at jQuery users. Rust +developers laughing at everybody except Haskell users. And everybody laughing at +JavaScript. It's like this never-ending dream, being stuck in high school. Us +against your team. It's like we are all stuck being 16. Such a sad state of +affair. And it's always been like this. But it's getting worse I think. + +Everybody trying to be elitist. Compensating lack of JavaScript features (like +type system, for one) with coming up with this insane terminology to make +JavaScript sound more sophisticated, as it is. Let's invent terminology to hide +flaws and sound more educated and academic. And the same goes for C and all the +other languages. All languages are shitty in some ways. For the love of God, +why? Just let it be. For once, let things just be. + +And I, for one, just do not care anymore. Languages are tools and not your +identity. If you need a programming language to fill a void in your life, I +strongly suggest that you re-evaluate where you stand currently. Try something +else. You are not a C developer, or Go developer, or JavaScript developer. You +are a problem solver. That's what you are. And be damn proud of it. You don't +need a label to make that more true or more sophisticated. + +I use Linux and macOS. I have fun on both systems. In my personal experience, +Macbooks are better laptops for what I need them to be. They are better fit for +me. Portable machines with an amazing battery life. That's all that I need from +a laptop. I don't need to come up with this insane hypothetical scenarios where +it will fell short. Yes, it can't water the plants when I am sleeping. OMG, are +we really going there. These insane hypotheticals. Who really cares? I don't! I +use it, it does what I need it to do, and that is the end of the story. Not only +that, but I don't push this down other people's throats. Like Tsodings often +says: It is what it is, and it isn't what it isn't. Such wise words. On my main +machine I have Linux and had it for more than 20 years and I love it. I LOVE +it. I am used to it. And I've had some shitty experiences with it, but damn it, +I love it. It does what it needs to do. It fits my needs. And if I needed +Windows, I would find a way to love it too. Why not? There is enough love to go +around where you are not being elitist and a shithead. + +Programming should be fun. Not going through a checklist before you even start, +to see if you are using what is considered the "cool" thing. If you are doing +this, you already failed in my opinion. + +Oh, you are not using this "insert here" algorithm? Such a pleb. Don't you know +about O(2) complexity? OMG, such a noob. He doesn't know. Uneducated pleb. 2017 +called, and they want their stack back. + +I would laugh if it wasn't sad. And in the end, who cares. Let these people +worry about making the perfect solutions that will never ship or take years to +finish because "Early optimization is the root of all evil." Everybody has their +definition of fun. I just don't want to listen to people preaching to others how +to do stuff. If people would just shut up and think before they speak 5% of the +time, the world would be a different place. But that will never happen. So the +only solution is to not give a fuck. + +This is more a rant than an actual post with some solution, so maybe I am a part +of the problem. Who knows? Just venting. Every so often it helps. + +Do your Rust thing. It's not for me, though. But if it works for you, more power +to you. Do your project with vanilla JavaScript. You don't always need +TypeScript, Next.js or who know what else to make a button do a thing. Use VS +Code or Vim or Emacs or even Notepad if you wish. If you are having fun, then +just do it. Don't worry about these elitist pricks. They will never be satisfied +anyway. You will never get their approval. So why even bother. Just go for +it. Use C, Rust, OCaml, whatever floats your boat. If it tickles you, just do +it. To hell with everybody else. And if somebody says O(n) complexity, dude? You +can say, OOOOO, fuck the fuck off. + +Anyway, back to having fun. Cheers! -- cgit v1.2.3