messages, messages
Richard Gaskin
ambassador at fourthworld.com
Wed Feb 25 18:10:22 EST 2009
Mark Wieder wrote:
> Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 12:26:35 PM, you wrote:
>> I am learning rev by rewriting my HC development tools.
>
> Playing Devil's Advocate here, I'm not entirely sure this is a good
> idea. I did the same thing when I was first starting out, as I'm sure
> everyone making that transition did, and the unlearning process
> probably set me back quite a bit. With some of the early stacks I
> converted, I should have rewitten them from scratch instead of trying
> to do things the HC way.
Maybe it's not so bad, kinda like backpacking: the most valuable
lessons we learn are the ones that hurt the most. :)
Some who transition from car camping to backpacking can't resist putting
their iron skillet in their pack. 10 miles later they learn the value
of a small titanium pan.* :) You can tell them before they go, but
they'll often just say, "Heck, it can't be that bad" until they actually
haul that iron over the mountain with their own two legs.
Maybe learning Rev As a Second Language is not too different: if not
for the earlier experience with HC some might not try Rev at all, and
there's enough similarity that a good amount of what they move over will
work with little or no modification. You can offer a list of Do's and
Don't's, but really the only ones that will be remembered in the long
run are the ones that were forgotten this morning which gave them a
headache.
There's just too much to know. While some learning takes place in one's
head, a lot of it takes place in the hands, by doing, typing, retyping,
clicking the Trace button and scratching your head. Learning is a
full-contact sport.
Sure, some of it will be hard, and along the way there will be much
unlearning. But even unlearning is progress. Making mistakes means
experimentation is happening, and that's a good thing. When I learn a
new language my success is often measure by how many mistakes I'm making
each day: if I'm making only a few, I'm not putting in enough time. :)
* If you're ever looking for tasty one-pan recipes for the trail, this
new book by an acquaintance of mine has completely upgraded my
backcountry cuisine: <http://www.aforkinthetrail.com/>. Camp dining
can be more than GORP. :)
--
Richard Gaskin
Fourth World
Revolution training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
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