Re: Java GOOD -- Fire BAD

[Adam Turoff <address@hidden>]

On Wed, Aug 20, 2003 at 03:34:57PM -0400, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
> "Joe Marshall" <jrm@ccs.neu.edu> writes:
> > I've used Lisp on the job for years.
> > Any idiot supervisor who does not let his programmers use
> > the appropriate tools for the job deserves *exactly* the calibre
> > of programmers he will get.
> 
> I prefer to think of it the way Paul Graham does: if you use lisp, you
> have a competitive advantage. Smart bosses will let you do it and the
> stupid ones will fail to survive in the long run, or at least will get
> fewer resources to play with.

That's not a fair characterization.

I talked to a manager at a very open source friendly startup recently.
They're hip to the whole Perl/Python/Ruby/whatever, and letting smart 
programmers loose to solve do interesting things quickly.

However, he would only use Perl/Lisp/etc. programmers on a project when
he could meet a few preconditions: finding enough of them, and keeping
them around.  If he couldn't get his three or four heavy lifters, he'd be
quite happy hiring a dozen Java programmers to take their place.  They
won't be as productive, it'll cost more, but at least they can't do as
much damage and they're easily replaced when they get bored and leave.

Java is popular because it is reduces risk.  Not every app is a sexy
or interesting idea like Viaweb or Orbitz.  Many apps are written not
because they're cool, but because they're necessary.  Why drive your
star programmers away with tedious projects?  Use them on the really
interesting projects, where they thrive and really deliver.

Start using Java for your sexy and innovative apps, and Graham's law 
kicks in.  :-)

Z.