Re: [FRIAM] Something for the more pragmatic members of Friam

[Steve Smith]

Congratulations to Peter (and Fred by extension)! I have to admit that Knuth's quote on the website (Some Highlights) rings way to true to me...  but it undermines the principle of re-useability and such.   I wonder if this is just "old-school" or if there is something to it.   I don't know how many times I, a colleague or a protege' ended up implementing an algorithm (or more likely set of them) simply because the algorithm subtle or complicated enough that writing it was as easy or easier than understanding someone else's implementation.   I wonder if there is some kind of implied "terminal velocity" implied by this? My son Peter's book "Coders at Work" is out and currently #7 overall at Amazon.  "Coders at Work"  is a book of Q&A with fifteen of the leading lights of the of software industry. You can see the full list at  http://www.codersatwork.com Peter has also put up a little essay on his blog at http://www.gigamonkeys.com/blog/ on the topic of the number of women included in the list--only one--that I am sure many on Friam would find interesting. Best Fred ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org