From: Lloyd Linklater <lloyd@2live4.com>
Date: 2008-06-03T01:25:19+09:00
Subject: Re: Should I Learn Ruby as a First Language?

Dave Bass wrote:
> Mark Wilden wrote:
>> With top-down, you start with your ultimate objective, and
>> stop when you've gone down far enough.
> 
> But you never really understand what you're doing; you end up learning a 
> set of rules and prescriptions instead of basic principles. Do this and 
> it works; do that and it doesn't.
> 
> Of course this could get very philosophical. What do I mean by "really", 
> "understand" and "basic principles"?  ;-)
> 
> You can certainly drive a car without knowing what goes on inside the 
> engine. Millions do. But some of us (especially those from an 
> engineering background) like to know how it works, at least in outline.

So true!  In the end, the one that understands more of what is going on 
will solve the really tough problems where the one that plunks around 
until he muddles there cannot.  Still, there is a great deal of effort 
required in the learning process.

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few people do 
it."  - Henry Ford

You could learn enough to do what you want to do and save delving for 
when delving is required.  If there is another notion to consider it is 
that it should be fun.  If it is not fun for you then you will never get 
far.  Programming takes far too much brain power to do it without joy. 
Certain projects and parts will be joyless but that is true for 
everything.  If you cannot find joy in it, then do something else.  Go 
to the strata where things are fun and stay there until necessity drives 
you out but return ASAP!  :)
-- 
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