Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by rumcajz 2490 days ago
One Eco's book relevant, IMO, for programmers: "The search for the Perfect Language". In a way, it can be thought of as a prequel to the history of programming languages.

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Perfect-Language-Umberto-Eco/d...
2 comments
genericacct 2490 days ago
He also wrote a short piece comparing operating systems to religion which is is quite amusing. It boils down to:

Windows = Protestantism Macs = Christian Unix = Talmudic

(if i recall correctly)

link
genericacct 2490 days ago
Previously on HN too https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11137982
link
unhammer 2490 days ago
It's also quite relevant for anyone with a morbid interest in those "logical" conlangs that try to divide the world into some sort of rational categories (Lojban, Ithkuil etc.). Though perhaps demotivating for those who attempt to create/learn one ;-)

Also, be sure to read Borges' "The analytical language of John Wilkins" if you like this sort of thing :)

link