Ha, as if attitude resides in something other than the brain.
http://yudkowsky.net/singularity/powerI don't think programmers are alone in this problem, however. People by nature tend to get into their own factions and bash anyone else, even if they have more in common than not. (Also note that programmers do tend to be more harsh toward non-programmers than other programmers.) Though I think programmers haven't yet (to my knowledge) resorted to actual violence, which indicates at least a little more maturity than others...
"Maturing" doesn't make a better programmer, either, I don't think, and I'd rather have Linus Torvalds' programming abilities than anyone else I can think of right now. Plus, a lack of cleverness isn't going to save you, for no matter how much work and effort you put into digging a hole for that gold, a little cleverness would have told you you're digging in the wrong place.
Lastly, I really didn't like this bit:
"It is about realizing that the complexity of software dwarfs even the most brilliant human; that cleverness cannot win. The only weapons we have are simplicity and convention."
When you've met the most brilliant human, see which software dwarfs his brain and which doesn't. I bet a lot of brilliant people can handle a lot of different complexities. Finally, while I'm a fan of simplicity (in the Einstein sense), convention should hardly be a rule. Progress can only be made by breaking convention.
I don't think programmers are alone in this problem, however. People by nature tend to get into their own factions and bash anyone else, even if they have more in common than not. (Also note that programmers do tend to be more harsh toward non-programmers than other programmers.) Though I think programmers haven't yet (to my knowledge) resorted to actual violence, which indicates at least a little more maturity than others...
"Maturing" doesn't make a better programmer, either, I don't think, and I'd rather have Linus Torvalds' programming abilities than anyone else I can think of right now. Plus, a lack of cleverness isn't going to save you, for no matter how much work and effort you put into digging a hole for that gold, a little cleverness would have told you you're digging in the wrong place.
Lastly, I really didn't like this bit:
"It is about realizing that the complexity of software dwarfs even the most brilliant human; that cleverness cannot win. The only weapons we have are simplicity and convention."
When you've met the most brilliant human, see which software dwarfs his brain and which doesn't. I bet a lot of brilliant people can handle a lot of different complexities. Finally, while I'm a fan of simplicity (in the Einstein sense), convention should hardly be a rule. Progress can only be made by breaking convention.