Hacker News Reader

Not everyone is looking to become a computer scientist. Some people just want to make things. Musicians don't need to know every little detail about how their instruments are made. Painters don't need to know the process by which canvas is produced. Why should beginner programmers need to know everything that underlies their craft?

View on HN

Because programming is different from painting or music. Programming is a skill that's through understanding of systems and how they work. Sure you can build something small with basics skills, but beyond that you need understanding. It takes knowledge and understanding on why your code is performing slow, knowing how memory works, knowing how activation records get built. Yes you can build basic stuff with these basic skills but to be a truly wonderful and competent programmer you need to understand the system and your responsibilities.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com