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"Data" Sucks (johnscolaro.xyz)
13 points by JohnScolaro 459 days ago
4 comments
brudgers 458 days ago
In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1]

The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random.

[1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

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drcongo 458 days ago
The beer hunter? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson_%28writer%29
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brudgers 457 days ago
“No not that one”
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taeric 458 days ago
Or code, if you were a lisper. :D

Data is a rather generic term that fits just fine in many contexts taking on different ideas.

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ssivark 458 days ago
This is basically the debate between Alan Kay and Rich Hickey... on HN, almost a decade ago :-)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11945722

The key idea is (bare) data -vs- objects (which encapsulate data and let you interpret/interact with it).

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IAmBroom 457 days ago
No, the key idea is meaningful names versus calling things "x", and defining "x" in the documentation to be "a variable".
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Chinjut 457 days ago
Reading the post, it seems like what sucks is variables without readily accessible types.
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Rucadi 458 days ago
buffer is also a candidate :)
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