Unofficial wish list status.(Jul 2008)

[superdan]

Sean Kelly Wrote:
> >> As for learning multiple languages... web development already involves a 
> >> ton of different protocols, technologies, and languages, so I think 
> >> there's precedent that this isn't a huge obstacle for most teams.  I 
> >> would personally rather have a set of specialized tools than one tool 
> >> which can do everything but isn't really ideal for anything.
> > 
> > that again is a logical fallacy. i like messing with cars. i have an amazing 18V drill that i use for a ton of stuff - screws, bolts, holes, adjustments, rust removal, you name it. does that mean i'm only trying to use that tool for everything? sure not. but that doesn't make it less loveable.
> 
> I'd argue that you're still using the drill for things it was intended 
> to do.  After all, a drill is just a portable electric engine, really.

which completes my point superbly. (what a wanker word.) is a screwdriver more specialized than a drill? most likely. is a drill still better? mine is :) then it's not all a zero sum game. there are tools that are not specialized and mightily useful.

i know this has a counter-point to which i could bring a counter-counter-point and so on til we have to wear diapers again. to prevent all that let me say this: human ingenuity makes the difference between solutions to problems that seem a zero-sum game. i remember from the days i was designing chips: we had to design an adc and everybody knew the relative tradeoffs of making various transistor combo designs. yet one day this guy comes and fuck me but his idea was just better than everything else in all aspects! even my boss said "such ideas are in very short supply". to bring this back to d. i couldn't design an const/invariant system to save my life from the same cannibals who ate bjarne. the space looked like a zero sum shit to me. so when i saw what walter came up with, i was rightly surprised. same goes about some shit in phobos2. it's not just yet another library. it's a fucking cool one because it's better in a new and surprising way.