Comments on: Must Programmers be Depressed Asocial Geeks? http://grandtextauto.org/2004/05/03/must-programmers-be-depressed-asocial-geeks/ A group blog about computer narrative, games, poetry, and art. Wed, 19 May 2010 01:52:58 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: nick http://grandtextauto.org/2004/05/03/must-programmers-be-depressed-asocial-geeks/comment-page-1/#comment-1255 nick Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=318#comment-1255 Just when you thought the stereotypes of programmers couldn't get <a href="http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/08/28/0wnz0red/">any worse...</a> Just when you thought the stereotypes of programmers couldn’t get any worse…

]]> By: Matt K. http://grandtextauto.org/2004/05/03/must-programmers-be-depressed-asocial-geeks/comment-page-1/#comment-1256 Matt K. Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=318#comment-1256 I share those same reservations about the book. It's a flawed novel--no question--and the skewed portrayal of the programmers (odd since Ullman is herself a long-time programmer) is only one issue. The narrative structure and point of view doesn't make much sense either, though it's perhaps obliquely accounted for by the trope of the memory leak. My students had mixed reactions to the book, largely because there were really no sympathetic or likeable characters (Ute, the German sysadmin is about the closest we get to that). Moreover, as Mark Bernstein and others have suggested, Ethan's behavior bears a strong resemblance to Asperberger's Syndrome, and if that's the case then Ullman's treatment of him borders on the perverse. That said, the novel provoked its share of lively discussions, especially in my grad class which is composed entirely of humanities students--some of whom have very deep experiential knowledge of tech culture, and some of whom don't. The two cultures divide that gets played out through Berta and Ethan opened up a way for us to talk about code literarcy (the divide between those who can and can't code) in what may have been the most useful and intensive session of the semester. I don't believe a theoretical or historical reading would have provoked the same response. Finally, as Michael notes, the book is unusually eloquent on the minute particulars of coding. Despite the cloying, crushing unhappiness of the characters' lives, Ullman captures the appeal of programming as world building. When I asked my grad students who wanted to go out and learn to code, I think every hand in the room went up. And I know at least one of them has followed through. Maybe some folks from ENGL 668 or 467, if they're reading, can chime in. I share those same reservations about the book. It’s a flawed novel–no question–and the skewed portrayal of the programmers (odd since Ullman is herself a long-time programmer) is only one issue. The narrative structure and point of view doesn’t make much sense either, though it’s perhaps obliquely accounted for by the trope of the memory leak. My students had mixed reactions to the book, largely because there were really no sympathetic or likeable characters (Ute, the German sysadmin is about the closest we get to that). Moreover, as Mark Bernstein and others have suggested, Ethan’s behavior bears a strong resemblance to Asperberger’s Syndrome, and if that’s the case then Ullman’s treatment of him borders on the perverse.

That said, the novel provoked its share of lively discussions, especially in my grad class which is composed entirely of humanities students–some of whom have very deep experiential knowledge of tech culture, and some of whom don’t. The two cultures divide that gets played out through Berta and Ethan opened up a way for us to talk about code literarcy (the divide between those who can and can’t code) in what may have been the most useful and intensive session of the semester. I don’t believe a theoretical or historical reading would have provoked the same response.

Finally, as Michael notes, the book is unusually eloquent on the minute particulars of coding. Despite the cloying, crushing unhappiness of the characters’ lives, Ullman captures the appeal of programming as world building. When I asked my grad students who wanted to go out and learn to code, I think every hand in the room went up. And I know at least one of them has followed through. Maybe some folks from ENGL 668 or 467, if they’re reading, can chime in.

]]> By: michael http://grandtextauto.org/2004/05/03/must-programmers-be-depressed-asocial-geeks/comment-page-1/#comment-1257 michael Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=318#comment-1257 I'm glad to hear that the book did provoke intense discussion. The appeal of world building, and crossing the two culture divide are two topics I've tried to engage in class discussion before using historical and theoretical readings - sounds like <i>The Bug</i> successfully sparked that discussion. If I wasn't also trying to teach programming at the same time, I would definitely try it. But in the context of my class, I still need to think about it... I’m glad to hear that the book did provoke intense discussion. The appeal of world building, and crossing the two culture divide are two topics I’ve tried to engage in class discussion before using historical and theoretical readings – sounds like The Bug successfully sparked that discussion. If I wasn’t also trying to teach programming at the same time, I would definitely try it. But in the context of my class, I still need to think about it…

]]> By: rita r http://grandtextauto.org/2004/05/03/must-programmers-be-depressed-asocial-geeks/comment-page-1/#comment-1258 rita r Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 /?p=318#comment-1258 [my first comment on gta]: i just finished reading the novel yesterday - just by chance - so i thought i would chime in. i agree with michael and matt's comments about characterization and would add that the formal structure of the novel is often that of an instruction manual. her descriptions of conway, compilation et al are exceptionally lucid but the mode is very much that of _the pattern on the stone_. if you'll pardon the old-fashioned critical judgment, the prose in _close to the machine_ is much more elegant. still, the insider look at a 1980s software company alone is worth the price of admission. [my first comment on gta]: i just finished reading the novel yesterday – just by chance – so i thought i would chime in. i agree with michael and matt’s comments about characterization and would add that the formal structure of the novel is often that of an instruction manual. her descriptions of conway, compilation et al are exceptionally lucid but the mode is very much that of _the pattern on the stone_. if you’ll pardon the old-fashioned critical judgment, the prose in _close to the machine_ is much more elegant. still, the insider look at a 1980s software company alone is worth the price of admission.

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