7 Apr
2006
7 Apr
'06
2:40 p.m.
Tony Duell says:
Yes, back when engineers actually thought about things
and didn't attempt
to 'solve' problems by throwing computing power at them.
-tony
I believe that one of the first lessons that should be taught is to program
something (of a size greater than a "hello world" program) on an ASR33 or
equivalent device. It is a VERY humbling experience. One actually learns to
look at programs before executing a compile/run step and takes some thought
before doing a "let's try this".
I was also told about the firm that went to an automated payroll system. The
first candidates (beta testers) were the programmers themselves. Having a
built in incentive to "get it right" is VERY motivating.
Everyone should keep an ASR33 floating around just to show others. An LA30 is
an (almost) acceptable substitute.
--
Tom Watson
tsw at johana.com
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