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From: figmo@tymix.UUCP (Lynn Gold)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Re: Where have all the hackers gone?
Message-ID: <342@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Dec-84 17:14:38 EST
Article-I.D.: tymix.342
Posted: Mon Dec 31 17:14:38 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 3-Jan-85 03:50:44 EST
References: <3138@utah-cs.UUCP> <676@clyde.UUCP>, <78@uwvax.UUCP> <679@clyde.UUCP>
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 48

> > ...
> > While it is true that they are often unruly and unorthodox in their
> > programming, that stems from their brilliance (sometimes) and their
> > mastery of their machines.  
> > For grunge-work programming, no, I would not hire a 'hacker'
> > either, which is porbably good since they don't want that kind of work.
> > I would hire yesterday's 'hackers' as today's innovators.
> 
> I dispute the word 'brilliance' even if it carries a disclaimer ('sometimes').
> 
> Have you ever tried to maintain or understand some of these 'innovative'
> programs?
> -- 
> Jon M. Allingham	(201)386-3466	AT&T Bell Laboratories-WH
> 
> "Beam me up Scotty, no intelligent life down here!"

As an alumna of Columbia's Hackers' Club, I have a few things to comment on:

1. Everyone who was in the Hackers' Club -- no exceptions -- has done well in
the computing field.

2. Sometimes what one is assigned to do for homework has less relevance than
what one does on one's own.  We had one hacker who was more interested in
writing a version of PACMAN than writing payroll programs.  When he graduated
he was hired by a well-known manufacturer of computer games.  As far as I
know, he has YET to be asked to write a payroll program.

3. Why school, you may ask?  School polishes up a hacker's skills.  Hacking
alone does not teach structured programming.  Even the student who would
rather do stuff on their own quickly sees the benefits of some of the tech-
niques taught in classes and in their textbooks.  A hacker needs good ways
to express their programming ideas.

4. With regards to maintainability, I've seen clearly-written code done by
many hackers.  I've also seen "happy" code (as in "Why should I comment this?
It's clear to ME, so it doesn't need any!") and spaghetti code (GOTOs everywhere
humanely possible -- and THEN some) written by people who got good grades.

Perhaps the answer to the problem lies in self-paced learning and in allowing
students to make choices as to what kinds of projects interest them (and teach
the skills the assignments are intended to teach).

--Lynn Gold
Tymnet, Inc.