We Should Be Able to Change Our Languages

(jimmyhmiller.com)

18 points | by surprisetalk 1 day ago

3 comments

  • pie_flavor 10 minutes ago
    Rust has been a practical experiment in macros for ten years now. I think it is safe to say the results are in: macros are great, and you just needed to have a better style of macros. Making and using something like `tokio::select!` in C-style macros is miserable, but `tokio::select!` is easy to use and understand in Rust.
  • tombert 41 minutes ago
    At the risk of being a bit of a douchebag, it seems like nearly every tech opinion piece I read now boils down to "things used to be hard but they aren't anymore because LLMs can understand things faster than we can, so can ignore/change fundamentals!"

    I didn't really find the argument convincing the first time and I don't really find it convincing now.

    That said, with regards to macros, I actually do agree that the fear against them is broadly overblown. I have seen scary terrible horrifying macro soup in Clojure, but that has generally been outlier cases. Something like core.async abuses the hell out of macros, and despite that I think it very often increases readability and understanding of the language.

    • smitty1e 35 minutes ago
      As long as GPS stays bullet proof, Navies are in good shape.

      It's going to be a hard come-to-Beevis moment if the magic signal goes away and people have to remember celestial navigation.

      Not sure you can even find a sextant on most vessels.

      So too these AI services.

      • QuesnayJr 26 minutes ago
        The Navy was phasing out celestial navigation, but after some public outrage from retired naval officers they brought it back.
        • manyatoms 22 minutes ago
          Does this mean using the star-tracking devices like what satellites have, or like a human paper/pen thing?
  • tinlid 12 minutes ago
    [dead]