TITLE: I've Been Reddited
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: October 24, 2008 12:10 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
I don't know if "reddited" is a word like "slashdotted"
yet, but I can say that yesterday's post,
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2008-10.html?#e2008-10-23T21_58_04.htm">
   No One Programs Any More</A>,
has reached #1 on
<A HREF="http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/">
   Reddit's programming channel</A>.
This topic seems to strike a chord with a lot of people,
both in the software business and in other technology
pursuits.  Here are my favorite comments so far:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
I can't think of a single skill I've learned that has
had more of an impact on my life than a semi-advanced
grasp of programming.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

This person received some grief for ranking learning
how to program ahead of, say, learning how to eat, but
I know just what the commenter means.  Learning to
program changes one's mind in the same way that
learning to read and write.  Another commenter agreed:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
It's amazing how after a year of programming at
university, I began to perceive the world around me
differently.  The way I saw things and thought about
them changed significantly.  It was almost as if I
could feel the change.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

Even at my advanced age, I love when that feeling strikes.
Beginning to understand
<A HREF="http://www.madore.org/~david/computers/callcc.html">
   <TT>call/cc</TT></A>
felt like that (though I don't think I fully grok it yet).

My favorite comment is a bit of advice I recommend for you
all:

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
I will not argue with a man named Eugene.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

Reddit readers really are smart!
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