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Re: is this procmail rant justified?

2002-01-30 15:01:44
* David W. Tamkin <dattier(_at_)ripco(_dot_)com> spake thus:
When Dallman wrote,

But what I do know enough about to judge is the poster's
English.  He doesn't know a dangling modifier when one bites
*his* ass.  So I'm inclined to be skeptical of his ability
to parse code.

Marco asked him,

| You lost me on this one: are you *really* saying that one needs
| to be a native English speaker to be a good programmer?

I read Dallman's statement to say that the ranter's poor job of expressing
himself in his own native language indicates that he is grossly untalented
in dealing with the written word, in comprehending (much less applying) the
rules of any language, and in judging what makes good writing; that
therefore he has no business criticizing another's writing style when his
own writing skills are so weak.  If he can't tell good writing from bad in
his native language, how can he claim to tell them apart in another?

Dallman never said that one needed to be skilled in English to be skilled in
C, nor vice versa.  Goodness knows that fluency in either is neither
necessary nor sufficient -- nor even helpful -- for fluency in the other.

I happen to know of a guy with great difficulties writing (and even
reading) English (his native tongue to my knowledge) but has no trouble
doing his work as a professional (C) programmer. His medical condition
is called dyslexia. 

Stig

-- 
brautaset.org
Registered Linux User 107343

``Oh, how I wish `undo' was ported to everyday life.''
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