Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

I call BS. Code and any process can be documented just fine.

> 3 different cooks will read his instructions and will end up with 3 different steaks

Either his instructions are shit, or the cooks are donkeys.

Sear steak at high heat, 1 minute, rotate steak 45 degrees, flip steak to sear back side for 1 minute, rotate steak 45 degrees. Move steak to indirect heat until internal temp probed at center of steak reaches 145F, remove steak and plate steak after resting for 4 minutes.

There. If you follow those instructions you can get a perfectly done steak every. single. time.

Shit is only subjective if you don’t have a repeatable way of measuring things.

You absolutely can learn steel working and foundry type of stuff from books, but you have to find ways of measuring what you are doing. E.G. heat to this temp, control cooling process by means of $X, $Y, $Z. Inspect crystal structure of coupon, X-ray for porosity.

It isn’t easy, but it can be done.



> Code and any process can be documented just fine.

Can be? perhaps. Is documented? definitely not.

90% of code is not documented, whether it is a trojan or firmware for a soda dispenser. If I find you a random piece of code that was not maintained for the last 5 years, in a random language, what is the chance that you can get it to work? 30%?

> It isn’t easy, but it can be done

So most of the time it isn't done.

Its software engineer's job to document code, it is not the job of a machinist to document minitua of his job. In fact some proffeshions made historically a point of keeping their craft secret and passing knowledge on to an apprentice.

> Code and any process can be documented just fine.


You can make it documented. Can other people understand completely same as you? It's a different story




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: