This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Agile Buzz
by James Robertson.
Original Post: What happened to the fun?
Feed Title: David Buck - Blog
Feed URL: http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/rssBlog/buck-rss.xml
Feed Description: Smalltalk can do that
When I first started programming, software was fun. I wrote a few games and created cool sound effects. I synthesized music. I sequenced synthesizers. Later, I played with ray traced graphics. I wrote neural networks code. I wrote an AI bartender who would serve drinks in a virtual world. I played with simulated physics.
Lately, software has become a lot less fun. I seem to be writing user interfaces on relational databases. I debug business software. I optimize SQL statements.
It seems that computing these days has lost a lot of the fun that it used to have. I used to feel that I was in a world limited only by my imagination and my desires. I could do anything. Nowadays, I seem to be trapped in the business programming world. I feel like I'm trapped writing code with little more creativity than even COBOL would allow.
Is it just me, or has all the fun been taken out of computing?
Almost a year ago, I contemplated writing a book on the fun aspect of computing. It was to be called "Adventures in Programming" or something to that effect. It would use Smalltalk for its examples and would explore many of the fun areas I played with in my earlier days - puppy graphics, turtle graphics, AI, ray tracing, simulated physics, music, and Braitenberg Vehicles. I gave up on the idea because of lack of time and low prospect for sales. Maybe I should resurrect it. What do you think? Would anyone buy such a book?
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