Subnostr

nobody 2y ago

I have become convinced that the average tech writer (e.g. Wired, Linux Format, et al.) is making their readers stupider. It’s a genuine disservice. It’s like me trying to write articles on oncology or something.

Simplifications are necessary tools for teaching, but they are dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn’t have the higher level knowledge to correct the many things wrong with the simplification (which is honestly, almost everything) later on, and with readers who will never dive deeper.

The problem with people isn’t the things they don’t know, it’s the things they know that just ain’t so. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

And I can’t count the number of times I hear someone say something online that makes it exceptionally clear they read bs tech writers, and base product or personal decisions on it, to their detriment.

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Discussion

Duncan Cary Palmer 2y ago

Exactly the same thing happens in theology.😢

nobody 2y ago

I was a catechist at my church for about 5 years… the only people who know less about Catholics than say, a Baptist, are Catholics.

I feel your pain.

The Callnote 2y ago

True that , and a deep sense of self skepticism has overcome me as well.

nobody 2y ago

It is positive to challenge your beliefs about what you think you know.

It can be disconcerting to your family when you 180 on a topic sometimes, but I’d rather be correct, and grow than be stable on every topic.

The Callnote 2y ago

Likewise , I’ll risk feeling like a moron if it makes better sense

nobody 2y ago

💯

I’ve been criticized for it, and even wondered off into some pretty extreme ideologies a few times.

But I went there, learned their *actual* arguments, worked through why they might be wrong, and came out the other end.

It also means I can speak to those people in a respectful way that might open their mind to returning to something more reasonable.

nobody 2y ago

As an example, take this statement I hear all the time:

“C is a low level language.”

No. No it’s not. Not in any shape or form.

“It’s close to the hardware.” Nope. Computers haven’t worked that way in 30 years.

“I know exactly what my code is doing and when.” Nope. Well, in embedded, with *no* operating system, *maybe*

“I have more control.” Of what? Nvm. No you don’t, unless you’re switching from a GC’d language.

“It’s simpler.” No. Simple programs are simple. Complex programs are complex. If you think C is simple, then you haven’t done a big project in it.

Anyways, this is just an example - I’m not really hung up on language fans. I like C. My point is, none of this is true, but it is repeated endlessly by publishers and YouTubers.

Laeserin 2y ago

I have no idea why people use C outside of embedded. Seems like pointless self-flagellation, since C++ does more and most computers have so much memory that it doesn't matter.

I've actually only written somthing in C, but not C++, so maybe I'm just missing something really obvious.

C does seem more low-level to me, though. As in, it maps closer to what the hardware does. Python is just completely abstracted away, in comparison. You can just write garbage code and it runs, even if you have no clue what the computer is actually doing. The code looks like 40% of the information is missing and it sort of freaks me out.

Laeserin 2y ago

They're actually using more and more C++ in embedded, now. Generated stuff from Simulink and whatnot.

jamw 2y ago

Used to be a tech editor and can vouch that many (not all) didn’t really understand what they were writing about. Got out of that game a while ago now. In general, it’s also become worse as a result of social media and payment models, where first to press and page views became more important than quality and research. I do not miss it. Same can be said for most of the MSM now too. Ignoring the clickbait, try and read some of the sites now without an ad/tracker blocker and the experience is god awful.

nobody 2y ago

There are some truly phenomenal authors and publishers out there too. They don’t get the attention because they don’t clickbait, and they’re spending all their time being correct - which I guess doesn’t leave much time for marketing. 🤷

jamw 2y ago

Yep, totally true. The quieter voices and those who get less attention are often those who actually know a shed load more. They get hired for their knowledge too but can’t conform or keep up with the churn that seems to dominate so many outlets now and they ultimately leave (quite often to do their own freelance thing or writing books is quite common, or they switch careers entirely). That’s not to say there aren’t any now but nearly always comes down to a battle between monetisation and quality/time. Also those who know their stuff quite often don’t write about it; they use it (to build, etc) and get paid far more.

nobody 2y ago

True. There are a few winners on YT especially (Primeagen, Theo, Fireship, Coding Aesthetics, Pirate Software (Thor) et al.) but I’ve not found many individual blogs to rely on. And most of those YT’ers are doing exactly what you said.

Prime works at Netflix,

Thor runs a game studio…

Etc.

jamw 2y ago

Nice - you can tell when they’re talented.

nobody 2y ago

I’ve been a solo/freelance dev basically my entire career. It has served me well as a bit of a mentoring substitute for learning how to manage complexity and work with others. Just being exposed to discussions about standards and processes, etc.

I owe the good ones a debt of gratitude. I just wish the majority of content was like that. World will never be perfect though. 🤷

Autumn Sun ☀️🌘☯️ 2y ago

Wired is adsuredly so because that just make shit up and keep pushing "woke" bullshit that's just not tech related.