Why Pure Computer Science Theory Is Wasteful

[neilc]

http://www.daniel-lemire.com/blog/archives/2008/06/05/why-pure-theory-is-wasteful/

[michael_dorfman]

"I am thinking about Software Engineering researchers who never write software and never study people who write software. [...] I am thinking about Algorithm Design people who claim one algorithm is better than another, but they never bothered to implement it."

Who are these people? I read a fair bit of research about both Software Engineering and Algorithm Design, and can't think of any instances off-hand.

[swombat]

Here's a straw man. Boo hoo, it sucks.

throws grenade

Look, the straw man got knocked down! Let all marvel at my skill and intelligence.

Quite ironic considering what he's criticising. Maybe the author should go out and meet some of those "pure theorists" he claims to be attacking.