What killed Smalltalk could kill Python

[Chris Angelico]

On Thu, Jan 22, 2015 at 2:23 PM, Steven D'Aprano
<steve+comp.lang.python at pearwood.info> wrote:
> What we need is more programmers with a passion for their job, and if that
> means learning to write games, then so be it. One of the problems with "9 to
> 5 code monkeys" is that programming is just a job for them. They do the
> absolute minimum they need to keep their job. They don't program for fun, or
> to learn new skills, or to solve problems. They go to user groups and forums
> like here only when they have a question they want answered, they take and
> take and take and they never give back.

Absolutely agree... as long as that passion results in solid
competence. Whether someone comes into programming because s/he wants
to write games, organize recipes, automate some specific task, or
prove some mathematical point, non-trivial programming nearly always
requires non-trivial effort. That's the same as any other skill (you
wouldn't expect to be able to build a car in a day, even if you've
been driving them for *ages* - like, say, two whole years - and have
this brilliant idea for how you could improve on every car on the
roads), but for some reason a lot of people think that computers
should be easy.

ChrisA