• by brudgers on 3/23/2025, 5:50:22 PM

    In ye olden days, the computer science term for data was often "table." [1]

    The problem with "data" is it is the wrong abstraction layer for thinking about computation because structure is what separates data from random values -- there ain't no such thing as random data. If it's random it's not data. If it's data it's not random.

    [1] I learned this reading Micheal Jackson...no not that one.

  • by ssivark on 3/24/2025, 2:43:53 PM

    This is basically the debate between Alan Kay and Rich Hickey... on HN, almost a decade ago :-)

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11945722

    The key idea is (bare) data -vs- objects (which encapsulate data and let you interpret/interact with it).

  • by Chinjut on 3/24/2025, 5:11:07 PM

    Reading the post, it seems like what sucks is variables without readily accessible types.

  • by Rucadi on 3/24/2025, 2:27:13 PM

    buffer is also a candidate :)