Category: English

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The Problem with Programming – Interview with Bjarne Stroustrup

Bjarne Stroustrup gave an interview to Technology Review, where they asked him about C++, past and present. It’s a very interesting interview – the amount of experience Stroustrup has with building big systems stands out. I found myself thinking “he’s so right” in almost every paragraph.

My favorite two quotes:

…looking at “average” pieces of code can make me cry.

and

There are just two kinds of languages: the ones everybody complains about and the ones nobody uses.

(via Artima)

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Microsoft gives away free licenses of Windows Vista, Office 2007

In a new website, called Power Together, Microsoft gives away free copies of Windows Vista and Office 2007. In return you have to watch 3 promotional movies, answer questions about them and give some personal details. You also have to be a US resident. You can get some more details here.

Why am I writing about this? Because I don’t want to hear any of my friends complain that I didn’t say/email anything about it. If you read my blog, you’d know.

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I was in a car accident yesterday

(I’m OK. So are the people that were in the other car.)

Yesterday I was involved in a car accident. On this turn left on the way home there are two lanes: the right lane is both for driving straight and turning left. The left lane is only for turning left. The lights were blinking green and were about to turn yellow. I was on the right lane starting to turn left as the car on the left lane accelerated to make the light. The driver did make the light, however with no intention of turning left (as she must have, being on the left lane). She just drove straight ahead and so the front left side of my car hit the right side of hers.

We both kept driving until we cleared the intersection. When we both stopped and got out of our cars, she started accusing me. She didn’t realize at first that it was her fault. I responded by yelling at her the explanation of why she was to blame. All this time her teenage daughter and mother, who were both sitting in the car on the right hand side (daughter front, mother back) were standing there in complete shock. They both hurt their right hand. The driver, after seeing that they were pretty much OK (she didn’t mind too much, though), continued on blaming me, even when she understood it was her fault. This time I was to blame because I didn’t notice she was not signaling left. Like that’s any indication in Israel that a driver is not going to make the turn. She was also quoting the slogan “on the road be smart, not right”.

Continuing to yell at her (and also at her mom, which joined the blaming while the daughter tries to shush her) I decided to finally take the practical approach and exchange details with her while telling her that all that matters is that her daughter and mother will go and check their injuries at a hospital. All the while she was still taking shots at me like “you should have not turned when you saw me coming” and such. I responded to some, not making any real “progress” by doing so.

I’m sorry that I yelled at the woman. Her reaction of blaming me was natural, and even though I knew it (maybe not right at first) I couldn’t control my anger. I know that I was in shock and panicked too (I couldn’t stop shaking for a minute or so) but I should have also paid more attention to the daughter, who seemed to be the one who took the greatest emotional hit out of the accident. And while her mother and grandmother weren’t supporting her (which was noticeable) I could have done more to ease her shock.

Later on the driver’s brother (who actually owns the car she was driving) came in and was very calm and handled things very smoothly. He asked the daughter “Is this your first time?” When she nodded he said “don’t worry, it’ll pass” and moved on. At least gave her some attention.

After I drove away, my car mostly scratched but with a door that wouldn’t open (the driver’s door), I started feeling the stress levels dropping and while talking to my best friend Katz I started crying. I felt a lot of guilt for yelling and losing my temper, and for letting my “negative” emotions rise to a level where I couldn’t notice the feelings of the other people involved. It’s extremely rare that I really lose my temper, and when it happens I’m always sorry about it later. Although it was not my fault I felt guilty.