From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Status: No, score=2.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_20,INVALID_MSGID, REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 109fba,baaf5f793d03d420 X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: fc89c,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gidfc89c,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,6154de2e240de72a X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,97188312486d4578 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: cjsonnack@mmm.com (Chris Sonnack) Subject: Re: What's the best language to start with? [was: Re: Should I learn C or Pascal?] Date: 1996/08/05 Message-ID: <4u55mq$oig@dawn.mmm.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 172279773 references: <01bb73e3.1c6a0060$6bf467ce@dave.iceslimited.com> <1996Jul20.124025.122789@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <01bb7b06$311fabc0$87ee6fce@timpent.airshields.com> <31FBC584.4188@ivic.qc.ca> <4toc18$4j0@ns3.iamerica.net> followup-to: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada organization: 3M/IT/EIS (St.Paul,MN 55144) reply-to: cjsonnack@mmm.com (Chris Sonnack) newsgroups: comp.lang.c,comp.lang.c++,comp.unix.programmer,comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-08-05T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Raffael Cavallaro (raffael@tiac.net) wrote: >> In the military, soldiers are taught how to disassemble guns. >> Why? There are people who could do that for them. If one FULLY understands >> the tools they are using, one can use them better. Period. > > Soldiers don't take their weapons apart and reassemble them so they can > "fully" understand them. Most infantrymen are not too bright, and they > sure as hell don't "fully understand" how the blowback mechanism of an > automatic rifle functions. Soldiers are taught to disassemble guns for a > simple reason--in order to clean the parts and keep their weapons in > operating condition. In the field of battle, there aren't gun repair > shops, so you have to do it yourself. Well, in this case, you're both right. It's the old, "You don't have to know how a car works to use one" argument. And that's basically true...as far as it goes. BUT! You'll, I think, be a //better// driver if you DO know; and you'll be in a FAR better position to help yourself when you break down and there's no other help in sight. -- Chris Sonnack http://eishcq.mmm.com Engineering Information Services/Information Technology/3M, St.Paul, Minn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UNIX is a very user-friendly operating system ... ... it's just picky about who it's friends with Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.