Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rpi!mts.rpi.edu!Garance_Drosehn
From: Garance_Drosehn@mts.rpi.edu (Garance Drosehn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: The programming CULT
Message-ID: <C77$#Z%@rpi.edu>
Date: 3 Aug 90 19:33:18 GMT
References: <90206.152308GROSSPA@QUCDN.BITNET>
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.
Lines: 32

In article <90206.152308GROSSPA@QUCDN.BITNET>
        GROSSPA@QUCDN.QueensU.CA (SPLAT) writes:
> Question 1 - Why is it that most of the really good mac programmers I 
> meet are rarely CS grads. Lots of physics guys, some math, some arts etc.
> (I have however met some REAL hotshot CS grad programmers in Cupertino)

I can't speak for all CS-type people, but in my case the reason I avoided 
the Mac initially was a simple matter of size and power.  It wasn't until 
the Mac got to the Mac Plus size that I could get myself interested in it, 
although I *did* like the interface a lot.  Why go with a 512K Mac when I 
was working with multi-megabyte programs on the mainframe?  Now that Apple 
is up to Mac IIfx power, I like it a lot (and now I have the problem of 
catching up with all the people who got into Mac programming several years 
ago).

Of course, it probably should be noted that I came to RPI for Physics,
and ended up switching to computer science, so maybe I'm not a genuine
CS-type person...

 > Question 2 - What is the difference between a Geek and a Nerd?

Okay, first things first.  Forget Hollywood movies and the such-like, the 
proper spelling for the word is KNURD, not NERD.  The reason is that KNURD 
is DRUNK spelled backwards.  

I don't know what the current definition of knurd is, but back when I was 
in college it meant a person who would rather be doing learning-type 
things instead of partying on weekends (thus the spelling). 

Garance_Drosehn@mts.rpi.edu
Long-time knurd and systems programmer
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Troy, NY.  USA