In the days of 64k memories, programmers wrote code with as much care as ancient scribes carved out verses on precious pieces of rock, one expensive chisel-pounding rep at a time. In the remarkably short space of 50 years, programming has evolved from rock-carving parsimony to paper-wasting profligacy. Still living machine-coding gray eminences bemoan the verbosity and empty abstractions of the young. My one experience of writing raw machine code (some stepper-motor code, keyed directly into a controller board,  for a mechatronics class) was enlightening, but immediately convinced me to run away as fast as I could. But why shouldn’t you waste bits or paper when you can, in service … Continue reading Venkatesh Rao