[Edu-sig] Programming for the fun of it

[Dethe Elza]

I like this.  David Gelertner writes about advances in computer science 
happening as a pursuit of beauty, and the whole pattern movement came 
about from a theory of architecture which strives for the "Quality 
without a Name," i.e., what distinguishes [code|buildings] that are 
*alive* from those which are not.

Wonderful!

--Dethe

Daniel Yoo wrote:
<snip />

> G.H. Hardy's book, "A Mathematician's Apology", covers some of the issues
> of teaching abstract concepts.  Why do people do crossword problems?  
> Crossword problems surely don't have any direct application, yet people
> derive satisfaction from solving a puzzle.  Hardy says that people do
> mathematics, not because it's practical, but because it's beautiful ---
> that's his primary justification for mathematics.
> 
> Likewise, I think people program, not only because it's useful, but
> because it's intellectually stimulating; there's something wonderfully
> _neat_ about seeing these processes run under our fingertips.  All these
> other perks: improving one's employability, gaining problem solving
> skills, are all secondary to the idea that programming is fun.  (At least,
> ideally... *grin*)
>