Comments on: How to avoid getting lost in translation http://gojko.net/2008/01/30/how-to-avoid-getting-lost-in-translation/ The Quest for Software++ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:49:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Bobby http://gojko.net/2008/01/30/how-to-avoid-getting-lost-in-translation/comment-page-1/#comment-24564 Bobby Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:38:24 +0000 http://gojko.net/2008/01/30/how-to-avoid-getting-lost-in-translation/#comment-24564 Not wishing to "rain on your parade", but the sensible, descriptive name thing, was one of the first lessons of Computer Science back in 1981. But you are right, tools shape our language, language shapes our dreams*, and dreams* shape our tools. * I'm willing to substitute comprehension for dreams. BASIC was rejected as a teaching language, not only because of the GOTO thing, but also the 2 letter identifiers (and GOSUB a number). Pascal was in fashion, as well. We were warned against the cute: in COBOL you can ADD something TO something GIVING something, ADD PEPPER TO CHILE GIVING HEARTBURN, wears a bit thin after the twentieth time to lookup what PEPPER really was. Not wishing to “rain on your parade”, but the sensible, descriptive name thing, was one of the first lessons of Computer Science back in 1981.

But you are right, tools shape our language, language shapes our dreams*, and dreams* shape our tools.

* I’m willing to substitute comprehension for dreams.

BASIC was rejected as a teaching language, not only because of the GOTO thing, but also the 2 letter identifiers (and GOSUB a number). Pascal was in fashion, as well.

We were warned against the cute: in COBOL you can ADD something TO something GIVING something, ADD PEPPER TO CHILE GIVING HEARTBURN, wears a bit thin after the twentieth time to lookup what PEPPER really was.

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