I’m in the middle of reading Programming as Theory Building (which was referenced from here) but I’m weary so off to bed. Will finish reading tomorrow. Hopefully.
Programming as Theory Building
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Category Archives: Philosophy
Self-hosting email
I empathise with the concerns of this guy: After self-hosting my email for twenty-three years I have thrown in the towel. The oligopoly has won.
Counting
I was pleased to see “the simplest tally starts with judgments about what counts” when reading the blurb for Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters. This is an idea I’ve had in mind for quite a while, and I’m happy to see it bubbling out into the mainstream. The final quote in the blurb was good too: “being in thrall to numbers is misguided and dangerous”.
“Decisions in 10 minutes or less, or the next one is free.”
My favourite software development anecdote of all time: Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division, during the development of Windows 2000 by a 4,200 strong team of developers: “Decisions in 10 minutes or less, or the next one is free.” — The Motivator Behind the Windows 2000 Development Team, February 16, 2000
The Hidden Half
I just finished reading The Hidden Half: How the World Conceals its Secrets. It’s about the limits to, and complexity of, theories about causation. I was going to say that it was “postmodern”, but I think instead I will say that it’s “ultramodern”.
In Praise of Idleness
Today I read In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell. It’s an old essay about how we should all work less.
Stories
I think stories are so important, but here is a contrary idea: Be suspicious of stories | Tyler Cowen | TEDxMidAtlantic.
The Gradient of Fear
Mysticism and Morality
From 1.4.9. – Mysticism and Morality – Pt. 1:
Now, you see, I’m not talking about a philosophy, I’m not talking about a rationalization, some sort of theory that somebody cooked up in order to explain the world and make it seem a tolerable place to live in. I’m talking about a rather whimsical, unpredictable experience that suddenly hits people, and it includes this element of feeling the total harmoniousness of everything.
Some links
I watched SLAVOJ ŽIŽEK on the Desert of Post-Ideology and found the Open MIND Project.