On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 8:06 PM, C. Titus Brown <[email protected]> wrote: > """ > I’m just going to come right out and say that for the majority of > computational projects (at least in our lab), version control is a waste of > time. > """ > > """ > In fact, some might say you’re more smart, because you don’t let command-line > ethos/ideology get in the way of actually getting things done… :) > """
When I helped my friend with his thesis I tried to teach him version control and some other basic computing lab skills, but he rejected my attempts saying that it was overwhelming and were just distractions from him actually getting anything done. And I stopped pushing on it because in his case he was sort of right--he was under enormous time pressure and stress, and I knew him well enough to know that it wasn't the right time. So I get the points in the RajLab post here, but... ... all the while I was quietly keeping his thesis (and all his data!) under version control for him. And turned several of his tedious data analysis tasks into one-command-line operations (even those he was too bothered to learn to use, but at least I could run them for him). And in the end having his stuff in version control did save the day a number of time as we went back and forth on different versions of some of the data. So he was lucky to have a proxy doing all that waste of time version control and command line stuff that just gets in the way of actually getting things done. You know, the only stuff that allowed him to finish the data analysis for his thesis in like 3 months. Most people won't have that luxury, and would do well to start early learning these skills. I totally get that my friend didn't have the time or patience to learn them when he did, but I would have started him a lot sooner had I known he would need it myself (his work was in political science, and I had no idea until he came to me late in the game for help how immensely data-driven his work was). I know a lot of people in arts and science work best when under time pressure (or often are under time pressure for no fault of their own) and feel like pressure to learn these skills can get in the way when they have a deadline (especially when the tools can be so unfriendly). But when they *are* learned and used effectively I thoroughly reject that the notion that they are a "waste of time" or "get in the way". We need to do better at emphasizing that these are skills that need to be developed early and often, and not when you're in the middle of trying to complete a project. _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.software-carpentry.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss_lists.software-carpentry.org
