Programming Considered Harmful (2001)

a year ago

The paper discusses the divide between programmers and users, emphasizing that users drive the market but often accept unreliable software.
Linux and Perl are cited as examples of successful individual or small group visions in computing, though they appeal more to programmers than users.
HTML is noted as an accidental success in making programming accessible to non-programmers.
The author critiques the current software delivery model, where programs are seen as finished products with user interfaces, leading to inefficiency.
S-expressions in Lisp are highlighted as a simpler, universal syntax compared to the inconsistent Unix command line syntax.
The author advocates for a modular approach to software, where functionality is assembled from interchangeable modules rather than writing standalone programs.
The concept of 'files' is replaced by modules with built-in features like access control, authentication, and revision control.
The paper suggests that good software is often cheaper and more reliable than shoddy software, but market forces favor the latter due to user perceptions.

Hasty Briefsbeta