undefined | Better HN

0 pointsmasto2y ago0 comments

I'm 48. I don't think age has anything to do with knowing the context behind this. From the other explanations, you apparently had to follow a very specific subculture dedicated to a specific individual. I did not, rather the opposite. I tried to read his Ruby book when it came out and I simply couldn't. No offense to the vast army of folks who enjoyed it -- I think we're all allowed to like what we like.

There's something wrong with the way my brain is wired. I am by accounts an intelligent, capable, successful person, but I am completely unable to "read" comic books. I might as well be staring at a foreign language. When I'm trying to learn a technical topic, I thrive on dry reference material. Put a cartoon in and it's like running into a brick wall.

I don't know where I was going there except I feel like any time this comes up, I have to over-explain myself for not liking that book, because everybody loves that book and I will be burned at the stake for not regarding it as the greatest programming book ever written. It's just my personal experience, and I accept that I'm totally wrong about it, ok? Anyway, shorter version is that I had such a visceral reaction, any time I see "why_" mentioned, my reading comprehension reverts to that of a toddler.

If that's all irrelevant and the point you were making was more like "kids today don't know what PCL is", I am very familiar with PCL and print spoolers, but detached from any context that would suggest printers, they failed to take on any semantic value.

0 comments

3 comments · 3 top-level

bvanderveen2y ago

Idem. I remember not being able to get past the first page of the guide way back in the day, and indeed cannot today either. The signal to noise ratio is just abysmal.

I also cannot read comic books and, with perhaps the exception of the systemd man pages, likewise thrive on reference material.

Somewhat relatedly, I can't really do podcasts or audiobooks, either, unless they're in a foreign language, and then the challenge of comprehension provides something for my brain to latch onto.

bagels2y ago

You can be perfectly capable of reading a comic book and not really care to try to learn technical information by way of a comic book.

I'd much rather learn from concise code examples, with short explanations for new concepts. It's a lot more efficient than wading through all the irrelevant prose and illustration.

gsinclair2y ago

Dude, it’s ok.

I loved the work _why did back at the time, in general. Doesn’t mean I loved every single thing.

In particular, I never bothered to finish the poignant guide. It didn’t speak to me. But I loved the fact that it enthused other people.

There never was a need for worship as far as _why was concerned.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse