Although
it’s become a cultural mainstay now, I still remember when I first saw
that thick book — the one with the wizard on the cover — about a school
for magic where wonders are easily conjured by those who know the proper
spells. Of course, I’m talking about the Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs. There was that other book with the spells, but the “Wizard Book” sincerely claimed to teach magic.
For the past few years, I’ve been working as a software developer in
the newsroom, where perceptions of my kind have changed from novelty to a necessity.
Recognizing this, some journalism schools now even require programming
courses to teach students practical skills with databases or web
frameworks. It’s thrilling to contemplate a generation of web-hacking
journalists — but I wish we could somehow squeeze a little magic into
their course load.
Spotted by Conal Elliott (@conal), via twitter.
# posted by Philip Wadler @ 11:02 AM
