Why I'm right and Will's not
Will (uni rather than Odd) was complaing at me today about that piece of shite---I mean Java---I submitted the other day which included some swearing. He told me that it wasn't `professional' and that I may offend Dr. Rod and as a result he may give me zero.
The exercise said to include an error message for something so I wrote down the first thing that came into my head.
I removed the bit about segfaulting from the final piece I submitted (I never found out how to send SIGSEGV to the process in Java).
Why is Will wrong and I'm right? Well... (Balamory hands)
The exercise said to include an error message for something so I wrote down the first thing that came into my head.
Oh FUCK! What the fuck has gone wrong? Did you enter less than three digits? You complete FUCK!\nDo you know what's going to happen now? Do you? Did you even think before you entered that data? Did you? Did you? Do it again! NOW!\nI should segfault right now. Yeah, I'd do it.\nIf you do it once more I'll segfault; I'm warning you.I removed the bit about segfaulting from the final piece I submitted (I never found out how to send SIGSEGV to the process in Java).
Why is Will wrong and I'm right? Well... (Balamory hands)
- He says it's unprofessional to have `offensive' things in your code. But CS student isn't exactly a profession is it. No. So I don't need to be professional (whatever that means).
- Also, the code is just a simple thing that doesn't need real error messages. If I was coding a complicated project (i.e. not one that tells you exactly how to do it).
- I really don't care if they complain at me for swearing in code. I care more that we're being taught a single paridgm of programming when there are other paridgms. I care more about the fact that the lecturer was too lazy to set us a piece of real coursework (which is what it is) and simply telling us to do an exercise out of the book. I'm more concerned that in SDTD (a different subject) we'll be learning UML rather than a real thing (personally, I believe UML to be included in SDTD soley because the PHBs like it).
posted by holizz at 22:20
4 Comments:
Ah, the Rod experience. Doesn't sound like he's changed that much from my first year then.
I will have to bring up the issue of swearing in code at SSLC on Monday. Just really to find out what the reaction is...
Will-
Maybe being a student is not a profession, but, if anything I would expect you, me, and everybody else to act like an *adult*. Saying this may queue up another argument from you on what being adult means, but, in general, the university expects you to act in a certain way. You've agreed to come to university, you have agreed to take part in a course, to put the time in, to look after yourself in an adult manner.
I wouldn't expect you to run through the library screaming and ripping books off the shelf. Yet, you somehow think it is a good think to pepper your code with obscenities, which, I am sure would amuse a small child.
And yes, it comes down to me branding you a child, since you seem happy enough to parade your 'I am right and you are wrong' over your public blog.
I can imagine you getting upset if someone else messed with your user area, or starting shouting out in a lecture, or any one of a thousand childish things that a fair section of our course are likely to do.
Look at yourself objectively and see if you are always 'right'.
Maybe think that, at the moment, you are being taught a single path of programming. Do you know how it changes, how the lectures will change in the future? Have you even considered teaching yourself a different language, a different method of programming? Even offering to show it to your classmates?
As, if you only spent the time in labs and lectures to learn java, you would drop out of the course. You are expected to learn in your own time, which, I suggest you do, rather than spending it bitching about something you will never try to change.
Stand up and do something, with your own education, or with the course itself. Make a proposal to the department that they should change the course to include different methods and classes. Do something rather than bitching and whining to me and everybody else in earshot that you do not like what is happening and it all sucks, as, and this comes back to my original point, in the end it just makes you look like a spoilt child throwing toys out of your pram.
You said:
"I care more that we're being taught a single paridgm of programming when there are other paridgms."
Ironic. My computing students are apt to complain about being introduced to the imperative paradigm first and then getting to explore object-oriented programming, rather than just doing a single paradigm/programming language: Java/C++/C#/[their idea of the most-used industrial programming language]. Nice to know some students appreciate the value of a broader look at programming!
P.S. Don't worry too much about Dr. Rod. If I came across that sort of an error message in a script to mark (as long as it wasn't in an HCI course), then I'd probably write something like "Not suitable for professionally produced software!" next to it, but no marks would be taken off, because marks wouldn't be given for the contents of the message. But, secretly, you'd have livened up my marking pile no end :-)
You said:
Ironic. My computing students are apt to complain about being introduced to the imperative paradigm first and then getting to explore object-oriented programming, rather than just doing a single paradigm/programming language: Java/C++/C#/[their idea of the most-used industrial programming language]. Nice to know some students appreciate the value of a broader look at programming!
Most-used language, bah! I bet the students that complained about this were the type that go to university for a job rather than to _learn_. My KSCP1 (Key Skills for Computing Professionals) coursework had a little about this in it. I'll upload it soon. It's so critical of KSCP.
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