
The Cretan Method (2015) - DyslexicAtheist
http://hintjens.com/blog:81
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armitron
A lot of this is common sense to me. I've seen the C++ part play out in
practice many times. C++ is an easy example because it requires a lot of
effort and time investment in order for someone to be truly good at it. The
same is not true for Javascript, Python, Ruby and so on which is why people
have a way more relaxed attitude ping-ponging (or chasing the next shiny thing
that comes along) amongst them.

The way it usually happens is that a smart person who has made big multi-year
investments and climbed the proficiency ladder crumbles into narrow-mindedness
and rigidity of thought when one points out to him that the language he's
extremely good at is a bad fit for the problem at hand. If an attempt is made
to solve it, with C++, that later turns out bad, the situation gets even
worse. I've seen people lash out at everyone around them, using any excuse
they can find so that they can keep a consistent worldview in their minds, so
that their model doesn't come apart.

To question the foundations of one's knowledge is a hard thing to do,
especially when it leads to iconoclastic outcomes. The vast majority of people
I've encountered in personal and professional life would do anything to stay
in their own manufactured reality bubbles rather than deal with cognitive
dissonance. Engineers are as prone to this as any other group I've ever come
across.

------
tempodox
“C++ is the Scientology of programming languages. Java, the sprawling mass
religion.”

This feels like healing ointment for my frayed nerves. So it's not just me
when I'm feeling friction in using languages like these.

~~~
carlmr
I'd say you're feeling friction, which makes sense, but that doesn't mean this
is a hard and fast rule.

In the C++ vs Java fight you might have cases where you need to be fast, and
C++ (with sufficient optimizations) might make your program much faster. Then
again I'd pick C or Rust if I started a new project (C, because it's much more
manageable, Rust because it has a lot of the useful C++ features while
maintaining memory safety). But then Rust might a Spanish Prison Guard, it
takes effort to learn. There is notable friction when you first encounter the
borrow checking compiler. The payoff is big though (trust me, or better check
for yourself).

~~~
tempodox
I agree with your thoughts. To clarify, when using the term “friction”, I
wasn't referring to a learning curve. I'd also consider learning (more) Rust
energy well spent, until proven otherwise.

------
carlmr
Fascinating read, although I didn't agree on his gender theories, I think
he'll have to dig deeper. It also seemed a bit disconnected in parts. And I
would have liked to see some code examples where he falsifies a theory that's
a bit smaller than C is easy C++ is hard. I find that programming has more of
a magical theory component because like writing essays a lot of what we
consider good writing is subject to tastes and fashions.

~~~
timmytwotime
Unfortunately Pieter died a while back
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Hintjens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Hintjens)),
so he's already dug as far down as he's going to go. The disconnectedness has
been his writing style for a while, and while it can be a little annoying,
he's been good about tying it all back together though I'd too like more
clarity on the language differences.

Which part of the gender theories didn't you agree with?

~~~
carlmr
The comment on the article by graffic (16 Jan 2015, 21:30) sums it up quite
nicely.

