Beginners and experts (Batchelder blog post)

[bartc]

On 28/09/2017 12:31, Steve D'Aprano wrote:
> On Thu, 28 Sep 2017 09:12 pm, bartc wrote:
> 
>> And I have little interest in most of this lot (my eyes glaze over just
>> reading some of these):
>>
>>   >      - how to use operating systems
> 
> You've never used a system call? Written to a file? Moved the mouse?

Wasn't that more this option:

  - how to program operating systems via system calls

Which was in my first group. Using an OS, I just do the minimum 
necessary and don't get involved in much else.

(In my first phase as a programmer, there were personnel whose job it 
was to do that. In the next phase, with microprocessors, there /was/ no 
operating system! Bliss. That phase didn't last long, but fortunately 
those OSes (MSDOS and the like) didn't do much so didn't get in the way 
either.)

> 
>>   >      - how to use an editor well (e.g., vim or emacs)
> 
> You have no interest in using your editor well?

I use my own editor as much as possible. That doesn't have any elaborate 
features that it is necessary to 'learn'.

> 
>>   >      - style (e.g. "Clean Code" by Robert Martin, pep 8, ...)
> 
> Until now, I thought that people who wrote crappy code did so because they
> didn't know any better. This is the first time I've seen somebody state
> publicly that they have no interest in writing clean code.

I meant I have no interest in reading books about it or someone else's 
opinion. I have my own ideas of what is clean code and what isn't.

> 
>>   >      - test (e.g., unit test), TDD
> 
> You don't test your code?

I assume this meant formal methods of testing.

> I suppose that makes it a lot easier to program. Just mash down on the keyboard
> with both hands, and say that the code is done and working correctly, and move
> on to the next project.
> 
> *wink*

Actually I used to like using random methods (Monte Carlo) to solve 
problems. That doesn't scale well however, at some point you have to 
properly think through a solution.

-- 
bartc