[~ot] why is programming so fun?

[BCS]

Reply to Gregor,

> BCS wrote:
> 
>> take a random lib, start writing code (don't even check to see what
>> the lib does) keep slapping in function (auto compleat may help) call
>> random methods, add some loops and if's. Heck, throw in a goto or
>> three. Then run it, tweak it till it compiles, then tweak it till it
>> doesn't crash. I'll bet you a dollar it does nothing useful. If it
>> does, you cheated and tried to make it do something useful.
>> 
>> Yes libs can make useful programs, but just because you use a lib,
>> doesn't say your program will be useful without skill and effort.
>> 
> Now, write a program to modify code randomly and select based on a
> fitness function, and feed it with 100 of this program you just wrote,
> and you've got a genetic algorithm! Give it a few generations, and
> it'll do something useful.
> 
> :P
> 
> - Gregor Richards
> 

<G>

OTOH it may well take more skill and intellect to create said fitness function 
than it would the make a "reasonably good" solution by hand.

"Programing is HARD" --many people