In a way it is somewhat similar to people writing demos for old computers using emulators. Still great fun, but using these tools it doesn't take a village to make one floppy disk. With modern hardware you are apparently able to pull this off on your own. That would have been almost impossible in the 1980s, when these floppy disks were popular.
I probably worded it badly, but I really enjoy these efforts, and I would never be able to do this myself, even if I had a shed with all those tools!
How can someone call themselves a programmer when they don’t even mine for silicon!
Knowing how to design a CPU is quite helpful.
> How can someone call themselves a programmer when they don’t even mine for silicon!
To be fair, after three or four Tinder dates I realized that it was mostly silicon to be found there. It's not a stretch to say that a programmer going out on Tinder dates is mining for silicone!(The San Fernando Valley was central to the porn industry in the late 20th century.)
why even bother
Mine and refine iron ore to make hub. Mine and refine zinc(?) to plate it.
Drill for and refine oil to make PET for disk and casing. Injection mold casing. Make film for actual disc.
Etc, etc.
I’d be ok using tools that weren’t made from scratch as well, but that’d be bonus ooints.