The Elcitra Method
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The Elcitra Method (“el-SEE-tra”) For Programmers The web is filled with a wonderful array of programming articles ... from MSDN, WikipediA, all the Universities, CodeProject and many more. You can Google, Live-Search or hit F1 in Visual Studio and find a beautifully written article from any point of the globe. I’ve sure benefited from (and am thankful for) all the articles I’ve read. Unfortunately, as wonderful and plentiful as The Article Method (AM) of learning is, programmers will probably spend most of their life learning by The Elcitra Method (EM). Let me contrast the two methods: AM - The programming objectives are clearly and concisely stated right up front ... often in the form of an “abstract”. EM - Yea right! AM - From the abstract, you can choose to become involved with the learning process or not. EM - You have to earn a living. AM - Presented by persons of known or accepted authority, assuring you that your time reading the article and exploring the code is well spent. EM - I don't need no stink'n authority. AM - Has a peer review and rating system to further assure you of the importance and excellence of the material presented. EM - Would be happy if someone even glanced at it before it was released. AM - There are usually references to sources and additional articles if needed. EM - What? AM - Code, when finally presented, comes well structured with clear and correct comments. EM - Code just comes. AM - Code often comes with additional code to debug or showcase the topic code. EM - You're kidding! AM - Exercises your insight and imagination. EM - Tortures your brain. AM - Found in the realms of education and discovery. EM - Occurs mostly in the realm of delivery. AM - You learn the art of programming ... outside in. EM - You learn the reality of programming inside out. AM - Teaches you how to write code. EM - Forces you to read code. The Elcitra Method sometimes occurs (without the torture) in the realms of education and discovery. You know, like when the professor comes into class … scribbles something on the board … turns and says “So let’s discuss this. Henry, what does it mean”? And a rich discussion ensues, driven by the students with guidance from the facilitator. Sometimes the event is captured to video for those students yet to be born. Ok, you got me. Yes, the Elcitra Method of learning programming is really maintenance programming … where the code comes first, and you write the rest of the article. An elcitra i
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The Elcitra Method (“el-SEE-tra”) For Programmers The web is filled with a wonderful array of programming articles ... from MSDN, WikipediA, all the Universities, CodeProject and many more. You can Google, Live-Search or hit F1 in Visual Studio and find a beautifully written article from any point of the globe. I’ve sure benefited from (and am thankful for) all the articles I’ve read. Unfortunately, as wonderful and plentiful as The Article Method (AM) of learning is, programmers will probably spend most of their life learning by The Elcitra Method (EM). Let me contrast the two methods: AM - The programming objectives are clearly and concisely stated right up front ... often in the form of an “abstract”. EM - Yea right! AM - From the abstract, you can choose to become involved with the learning process or not. EM - You have to earn a living. AM - Presented by persons of known or accepted authority, assuring you that your time reading the article and exploring the code is well spent. EM - I don't need no stink'n authority. AM - Has a peer review and rating system to further assure you of the importance and excellence of the material presented. EM - Would be happy if someone even glanced at it before it was released. AM - There are usually references to sources and additional articles if needed. EM - What? AM - Code, when finally presented, comes well structured with clear and correct comments. EM - Code just comes. AM - Code often comes with additional code to debug or showcase the topic code. EM - You're kidding! AM - Exercises your insight and imagination. EM - Tortures your brain. AM - Found in the realms of education and discovery. EM - Occurs mostly in the realm of delivery. AM - You learn the art of programming ... outside in. EM - You learn the reality of programming inside out. AM - Teaches you how to write code. EM - Forces you to read code. The Elcitra Method sometimes occurs (without the torture) in the realms of education and discovery. You know, like when the professor comes into class … scribbles something on the board … turns and says “So let’s discuss this. Henry, what does it mean”? And a rich discussion ensues, driven by the students with guidance from the facilitator. Sometimes the event is captured to video for those students yet to be born. Ok, you got me. Yes, the Elcitra Method of learning programming is really maintenance programming … where the code comes first, and you write the rest of the article. An elcitra i
:wtf:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
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:wtf:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon
Paul, Sorry you missed the clues. I was hoping for at least a chuckle if not a LOL ... but not a WTF. Ok. My bad. But I still think there is room for discussion. "And I remember a long time ago, when we threw 0s and 1s at the computer ... we constantly ran out of 1s."
g.CoderCat
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Paul, Sorry you missed the clues. I was hoping for at least a chuckle if not a LOL ... but not a WTF. Ok. My bad. But I still think there is room for discussion. "And I remember a long time ago, when we threw 0s and 1s at the computer ... we constantly ran out of 1s."
g.CoderCat
g.CoderCat wrote:
I was hoping for at least a chuckle if not a LOL
Okey dokey - perhaps you should have used the Joke icon then.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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g.CoderCat wrote:
I was hoping for at least a chuckle if not a LOL
Okey dokey - perhaps you should have used the Joke icon then.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
Wow ... do you need icons to tell you when to laugh? The world is going to hell in a laugh-track basket.
g.CoderCat
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Wow ... do you need icons to tell you when to laugh? The world is going to hell in a laugh-track basket.
g.CoderCat
g.CoderCat wrote:
do you need icons to tell you when to laugh?
Only when the "joke" isn't apparent. Just because it makes you fall out of your chair doesn't mean that it will even make me raise the merest part of a chuckle.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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g.CoderCat wrote:
do you need icons to tell you when to laugh?
Only when the "joke" isn't apparent. Just because it makes you fall out of your chair doesn't mean that it will even make me raise the merest part of a chuckle.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
Pete, If you miss the clues, fine, you need icons. It may be the case that others do not need icons (or laugh tracks) to get some fun or ideas out of it. Why put down something and possibly ruin it for others? Do you speak for everyone? So now this "topic of discussion" is flagged WTF. Nobody would want to even try to discuss the topic, because they too might be branded WTF. And this side thread seals the deal ... noone will ever want to discuss or investigate something I genuinely thought would be fun and interesting to discuss. There will be no more discussion here. The judges have spoken WTF (sound of gong in background). Over and out.
g.CoderCat
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Pete, If you miss the clues, fine, you need icons. It may be the case that others do not need icons (or laugh tracks) to get some fun or ideas out of it. Why put down something and possibly ruin it for others? Do you speak for everyone? So now this "topic of discussion" is flagged WTF. Nobody would want to even try to discuss the topic, because they too might be branded WTF. And this side thread seals the deal ... noone will ever want to discuss or investigate something I genuinely thought would be fun and interesting to discuss. There will be no more discussion here. The judges have spoken WTF (sound of gong in background). Over and out.
g.CoderCat
g.CoderCat wrote:
Why put down something and possibly ruin it for others?
Where did I do this? I merely stated that you the joke icon would have been clearer if you were wanting to use a bit of humour. If you want critique, then fine - the original post is far too long, and far too matey to grab my attention. Forcing me to scroll down so far in a post is a sure way to lose people - and stop them reading it. Now, I didn't vote the post a WTF, but really - step back and view it dispassionately. While the core of your idea was probably sound, could you not have covered it in a smaller post, whereby you would have had more positive feedback.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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g.CoderCat wrote:
Why put down something and possibly ruin it for others?
Where did I do this? I merely stated that you the joke icon would have been clearer if you were wanting to use a bit of humour. If you want critique, then fine - the original post is far too long, and far too matey to grab my attention. Forcing me to scroll down so far in a post is a sure way to lose people - and stop them reading it. Now, I didn't vote the post a WTF, but really - step back and view it dispassionately. While the core of your idea was probably sound, could you not have covered it in a smaller post, whereby you would have had more positive feedback.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
Pete, Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, did not mean to put you in the WTFer catagory. Yes, it was a long post, kind of blogish. But as such, it had no more words than a small article in a daily newspaper or any one of the CodeProject articles. The example code took up a good part of the post ... probably should have left that out. But: When is it the responsibilty of the writer to spoon-feed the reader? IE: engage the reader, keep it short and simple, place icons appropriately. And when is it the reader's responsibily to pick up and use their own spoon? IE willingness be challanged and to explore the unreviewed and uncatagorized, deciding on their own what they get out of it? That was, in fact, the point of the article. Engage the brain and read the code. Suffer through the blogish like code and articles (guilty). Force yourself to scroll down. It may bring rewards. Is this really ArticlesProject.com?
g.CoderCat
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Pete, Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, did not mean to put you in the WTFer catagory. Yes, it was a long post, kind of blogish. But as such, it had no more words than a small article in a daily newspaper or any one of the CodeProject articles. The example code took up a good part of the post ... probably should have left that out. But: When is it the responsibilty of the writer to spoon-feed the reader? IE: engage the reader, keep it short and simple, place icons appropriately. And when is it the reader's responsibily to pick up and use their own spoon? IE willingness be challanged and to explore the unreviewed and uncatagorized, deciding on their own what they get out of it? That was, in fact, the point of the article. Engage the brain and read the code. Suffer through the blogish like code and articles (guilty). Force yourself to scroll down. It may bring rewards. Is this really ArticlesProject.com?
g.CoderCat
g.CoderCat wrote:
Yes, it was a long post, kind of blogish
Then it should have been a blog. Don't get me wrong, I did find it an interesting diversion, but the forums aren't really the place for it. They are just formatted all wrong to cope well with this. Instead, why not put it in a blog in it's full format, and then include a summarised version here (with a link to your blog post)?
g.CoderCat wrote:
Is this really ArticlesProject.com?
Well, that's effectively where CP started. There's still a heavy leaning towards this.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
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g.CoderCat wrote:
Yes, it was a long post, kind of blogish
Then it should have been a blog. Don't get me wrong, I did find it an interesting diversion, but the forums aren't really the place for it. They are just formatted all wrong to cope well with this. Instead, why not put it in a blog in it's full format, and then include a summarised version here (with a link to your blog post)?
g.CoderCat wrote:
Is this really ArticlesProject.com?
Well, that's effectively where CP started. There's still a heavy leaning towards this.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
Thank you ... yes, I am learning.
g.CoderCat
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Paul, Sorry you missed the clues. I was hoping for at least a chuckle if not a LOL ... but not a WTF. Ok. My bad. But I still think there is room for discussion. "And I remember a long time ago, when we threw 0s and 1s at the computer ... we constantly ran out of 1s."
g.CoderCat
You probably would have had better luck in the lounge or possibly the soapbox, not here.
Scott Dorman
Microsoft® MVP - Visual C# | MCPD President - Tampa Bay IASA [Blog][Articles][Forum Guidelines]
Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. We don't have to be mean because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are. - Buckaroo Banzai
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Pete, Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, did not mean to put you in the WTFer catagory. Yes, it was a long post, kind of blogish. But as such, it had no more words than a small article in a daily newspaper or any one of the CodeProject articles. The example code took up a good part of the post ... probably should have left that out. But: When is it the responsibilty of the writer to spoon-feed the reader? IE: engage the reader, keep it short and simple, place icons appropriately. And when is it the reader's responsibily to pick up and use their own spoon? IE willingness be challanged and to explore the unreviewed and uncatagorized, deciding on their own what they get out of it? That was, in fact, the point of the article. Engage the brain and read the code. Suffer through the blogish like code and articles (guilty). Force yourself to scroll down. It may bring rewards. Is this really ArticlesProject.com?
g.CoderCat
g.CoderCat wrote:
That was, in fact, the point of the article.
Yeah I think that's what lost me. This isn't where you post articles, just ideas about articles.
"The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women's fashion. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about. What is it? It's complete gibberish. It's insane. When is this idiocy going to stop?" -- Oracle CEO Larry Ellison