[ale] [WAY OT]Reverse Engineering MS Visual Basic Applications

[George Carless]

Drew,

You are, even by your own admission, not a programmer - what place, then,
do you have to say whether or not coding is a creative pursuit?
Furthermore, any investigation into the number of ridiculous patent
applications, copycat business ideas or poorly-conceived "Step 3: ???"
notions of e-commerce should be enough to convince that many of those
"creating the ideas that require the programming" are seldom creative, nor
even in touch with technology.

The obvious response, of course, is that there are true visionaries in
business and there are me-too also-rans.  But the obvious response to
*that* is that the same applies to coding as it does to *any* other field.
Programming is *by definition* "creative", but just as there are both
geniuses and scribblers in visual art and both Bachs and Britneys in
music, there are both true expert code developers, and code monkeys.  But
one doesn't need to be Da Vinci to draw a picture, and one doesn't need to
be a kernel hacker to string together a simple search engine.

Certainly, most code employs similar principles, algorithms, frameworks -
just as most painters employ oils (or acrylics - TMTOWTDI).  But
application and reapplication of time-tested processes does not stifle or
detract from creativity; rather, it enhances it.  Creativity encompasses
both originality *and* the application of trusted, tested knowledge;
indeed, when the former occurs without the latter the result is often
chaotic, or at least seemingly so - think Pollock...

But as in visual art, I think that the truest form of 'creativity' tends
to lie in the execution, rather than in the pure idea: much modern art
arguably suffers from its creators' view that the idea is more important
than the artwork.  Having an idea for a 'great search engine' isn't
especially creative - but developing a Google *is*.

Oh, and a lot of people who consider themselves 'visionaries' simply..
aren't.  I don't think that pointing this out is 'classism' or 'envy and
jealousy' -- and it's a feeble response to suggest that anyone who
disagrees with your own views must be 'jealous' -- of course, that's a
view that's been encouraged by the Bush administration.. but I digress.

Incidentally, trolling -- at least successful trolling - generally
*doesn't* encompass personal attacks.  But perhaps Drew already knew that.

Drew, until you can actually write useful code yourself, I suggest that
you lay off on insulting most of the rest of this group.  You're not smart
enough to take us on.

--George