Subject:
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Re: New Civil Engineer letter
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.technic
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Date:
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Mon, 2 Jul 2001 15:42:05 GMT
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Viewed:
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1344 times
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Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> Because you know all the idioms. To draw an analogy, I can code in C++ or
> Java a lot faster than I can in Lisp, because I know more idioms and
> patterns. That doesn't (in and of itself) make C++ *better* than Lisp, just
> different. You need a different metric to decide whether C++ is better or
> worse. Partisan facile-ness with it doesn't count.
Yup, that certainly is a large part of it, and I don't think there is any point in
my life where my skill (or lack thereof) at the two systems was equal therefore
allowing a valid comparison. I think there is something else though, a mindset,
something wired in my head - I can look at a random pile of Lego and almost
literally see diggers, bridges, houses, trains, ships, fairground rides, death
traps, you name it, but I look at a pile of meccano, znap or knex and all I see is
a pile of metal and plastic. Nothing about the system leaps out at me the way it
does with Lego. Of course, this could be due to my lack of idioms but I think
there is something more :-)
> Hope that's clear. I'm NOT trying to pick a fight (I consider all three
> other systems I mentioned far inferior) just trying to say that I understand
> where the perception referenced comes from.
Indeed, one superiour aspect of Meccano that immediately springs to mind is that
standard vertical structures cannot be pulled apart the same way Lego ones can
without extra bracing. The bracing idioms are probably quite a large barrier to
young kids making really good Technic models.
From an artistic and aesthetic point of view, however, I think Lego really is head
and shoulders above the rest by any standing.
Jennifer
http://www.telepresence.strath.ac.uk/jen/lego/
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: New Civil Engineer letter
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| (...) Death traps? Ever had your wiring checked? :-) only joking. I once saw a Sabre jet crafted in Meccano. It was very well done, especially hard as it's not cylindrical along it's lenght, but tapers toward the tail. Must have required some neat (...) (23 years ago, 2-Jul-01, to lugnet.technic)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: New Civil Engineer letter
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| (...) Because you know all the idioms. To draw an analogy, I can code in C++ or Java a lot faster than I can in Lisp, because I know more idioms and patterns. That doesn't (in and of itself) make C++ *better* than Lisp, just different. You need a (...) (23 years ago, 2-Jul-01, to lugnet.technic)
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