Re^8: No garbage collection for my-variables

Obfuscation is actually beside my point. The point is we don't use every "feature" of our natural languages, and likewise I see nothing wrong with not using every feature of our programming languages.

My children speak the same language I do, but they probably never will speak it the same way I do. There will be elements and idioms that I will use once in a while that they'll never use. Likewise, they will learn language constructs from their peers that I won't find all that expressive.

You're correct that some programmers will go out of their way to avoid global variables. Some will go out of their way to have object orientation. And so on and so forth. That may be a result of their experience or a result of their education or even a result of some misunderstanding. In any case, it's a result of them being individuals.

There are things I won't write because I had some bad experience in the past. I may not remember the details. I remember what got me into some trouble, and I still avoid it without remembering why. I don't see much problem with this as long as I can still "get the job done."

Comment on Re^8: No garbage collection for my-variables

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Re^9: No garbage collection for my-variables by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 17, 2008 at 15:28 UTC
There are things I won't write because I had some bad experience in the past. I may not remember the details This might come as a surprise, I absolutely agree with every word of this. For your own codebase, within the constraints and guidelines of your employer/customers, you should do what you are most comfortable with. Where I have angst, is when I see people trying to impose, or even recommend for that matter, their own preferences, foibles and quirks on other under the guise of the "best" or "proper" or "only" way. I have no problem at all with people suggesting "this is how I do things". Even better when they say why. But when people say "you must" or "you shouldn't", (or "you don't want to do it like that!), they should at least be able to justify why. Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice. "Too many [] have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion."	[reply]

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Re^9: No garbage collection for my-variables
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 17, 2008 at 15:28 UTC

There are things I won't write because I had some bad experience in the past. I may not remember the details

This might come as a surprise, I absolutely agree with every word of this. For your own codebase, within the constraints and guidelines of your employer/customers, you should do what you are most comfortable with.

Where I have angst, is when I see people trying to impose, or even recommend for that matter, their own preferences, foibles and quirks on other under the guise of the "best" or "proper" or "only" way.

I have no problem at all with people suggesting "this is how I do things". Even better when they say why.

But when people say "you must" or "you shouldn't", (or "you don't want to do it like that!), they should at least be able to justify why.

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

"Too many [] have been sedated by an oppressive environment of political correctness and risk aversion."

[reply]