Re:The process of programming explained in an animated GIF
by user24 on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @10:03AM
(#6126983)
We are insatiable problem-solvers. The truly great ones can find the right compromise between rabbit-holing like this and actually getting the important work done.
Re:The process of programming explained in an animated GIF
by ColinWright on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @10:36AM
(#6127151)
Clearly there are many who agree with you, since despite the large number of upvotes, this item has fallen a very, very long way from the front page.
However, I feel that you've missed the point. There is a very real phenomenon in programming (and in life in general) for finding oneself in an ever-lengthening chain of tasks, all spawned as sub-tasks of something you want to accomplish. The challenge is always to find the right place to stop, re-assess, and possibly abandon the existing stack in order to get the original task done.
Yes, this an an image. Yes, it's intended to be humorous, but no, it's not just a funny picture. It carries a real message.
Perhaps the HN audience doesn't have anything constructive to say about the general problem of Yak-Shaving. Perhaps the problem has no real solution. Perhaps there is a solution, but the HN community isn't clever enough, or motivated enough, or interested enough to try to solve it.
But it would be nice to see some intelligent discussion.
http://catb.org/jargon/html/Y/yak-shaving.html
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/03/dont_shave_t...
http://www.spaceclearing.com/blog/2013/03/22/mastering-the-a...
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yak_shaving
I know what I'm talking about: no less than 3 lightbulbs went off in my apartment last month...
However, I feel that you've missed the point. There is a very real phenomenon in programming (and in life in general) for finding oneself in an ever-lengthening chain of tasks, all spawned as sub-tasks of something you want to accomplish. The challenge is always to find the right place to stop, re-assess, and possibly abandon the existing stack in order to get the original task done.
Yes, this an an image. Yes, it's intended to be humorous, but no, it's not just a funny picture. It carries a real message.
Perhaps the HN audience doesn't have anything constructive to say about the general problem of Yak-Shaving. Perhaps the problem has no real solution. Perhaps there is a solution, but the HN community isn't clever enough, or motivated enough, or interested enough to try to solve it.
But it would be nice to see some intelligent discussion.