Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: ArsDigita University

Author:Dave Winer
Posted:4/16/2000; 8:32:04 PM
Topic:Re: ArsDigita University
Msg #:16309 (In response to 16308)
Prev/Next:16308 / 16310

Thanks for the other-hand. I imagine Greenspun is just average-level arrogant for an academic, I came out of grad school myself, a few years before he, with a very healthy dose of arrogant superiority, planning to show the idiots in the commercial world a thing or two about how to really make software. After I got the shit kicked out of me in the first deal I did, I came to have a healthy appreciation for how hard it is to make software that people actually want to use and that can be trusted with real data.

I was really looking forward to meeting him, I thought we shared a common philosophy based on what other people had told me about him, but no way, what a creep. Esp his comment about object databases. I didn't want to bore the audience (mostly production people and art directors), but I can do a relational database in an object database, but it wouldn't perform worth a damn, and I know that implementing an object db in a relational database would be a pig too. Each approach is good for something. Relational dbs are great for accounting systems. Do a CMS in one, and you'll be working around its limits until you throw it out and build an odb.

I guess I remembered too much from listening to Greenspun. My opinion: teaching the kids that everyone but them and you are stupid is a bad way to start a career, if that's what you're doing.

Now, discipline is another thing. A university education teaches you some of that, but not really in computer science. For that I'd go to math or physics or chemistry perhaps. Scientific method and all. It's good training for programming. And a little mysticism too, wouldn't hurt. Where's the course on humility? (Remember Murphy, I don't think to many college profs pray to Him.)

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