From: "M. Edward (Ed) Borasky" <znmeb@...>
Date: 2008-01-04T13:53:39+09:00
Subject: Re: Don't write your own X

Michael Schuerig wrote:
> On Friday 04 January 2008, Jay Levitt wrote:
>> The very same arguments people use about "write your own
>> authentication system so you know what it does" can be extrapolated
>> to "write your own framework" - and, from there, to "write your own
>> language", "build your own computer", and "don't believe anything you
>> haven't seen with your own eyes".  It's all of a piece.
> 
> I'd consider it bad advice to tell people to "write your own X so you 
> know what it does." It encourages people to ignore work that has 
> already been done and particularly ignore the thinking that has gone 
> into that work already. What's the point of having your homebrew X that 
> you fully understand, but that is broken-as-designed? Write your own X 
> if you understand the existing alternatives and they can't be made to 
> do what you need.
> 
> Michael
> 

Well, except for Forth. The traditional way of learning Forth is to
write your own. :)