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Aesthetics and the Human Factor in Programming – A.P. Ershov (1972)

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/361454.361458

by ethanwillis • 4 years ago

1 1 4 years ago

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ggm• 4 years ago

Many many observations rang true to me. The comparison of hyper-specialised programmers to a man asked to solve 50,000 croswords, day after day after day struck a chord.

When you think that Ershov was a product of the planned economy, which simultaneously welcomed computers in, but with some profound skepticisms about their impact on state planning, and then went full-bore trying to use them to manage the planned economy (mixed results: GIGO?) this is a remarkably humane and interesting take on the personal aesthetic and human experience in programming.

He's right about the dehumanising nature of the production line.

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