> The “analysis-by-synthesis” view of SICP — where you build a larger system out of smaller, simple parts — became irrelevant. Nowadays, we do programming by poking.
I imagine many of us do programming by poking. But the skill set referred to here is essential if you're going to build (create/construct) a complex system or architecture.
To say the skill set is irrelevant is to say we as an industry are doing things more or less right. But when I look around, I see that we're making a huge mess of things everywhere or are at least sorely inefficient when it comes to building and growing systems. That is to say, I believe (I know) that we could be doing much much better than we are now -- and I believe the skill set being dismissed here is a large key to doing better. So I'm sad to see it dismissed like this.
I imagine many of us do programming by poking. But the skill set referred to here is essential if you're going to build (create/construct) a complex system or architecture.
To say the skill set is irrelevant is to say we as an industry are doing things more or less right. But when I look around, I see that we're making a huge mess of things everywhere or are at least sorely inefficient when it comes to building and growing systems. That is to say, I believe (I know) that we could be doing much much better than we are now -- and I believe the skill set being dismissed here is a large key to doing better. So I'm sad to see it dismissed like this.