Thanks!

And people had been trying to build better buildings, keep secrets more secure, create deadlier weapons, for millennia, not just 60 years. There are have been a bunch of great and beautiful (and ugly) solutions found all through this time.

Yes, there are benefits unique to text representation.

But if you look at the context, I'm not arguing against the written word (see note here: "Perhaps, a printed executive summary of bullet points in your hand.")

I'm saying is text is just _one_ mode of interaction - it shouldn't be the only one. Effective multi-mode interaction is always better than single mode. We are full-spectrum creatures.

No. First, there are benefits unique to audio interaction (immediacy, tonal emphasis, emotion); next up, benefits to physical presence (enhances interaction - e.g. pointing, gestures, a wider visual canvas), and finally you skipped this last bit with the pretty pictures... :)
"...code editors open in front of us, trying to demonstrate certain use-cases where visual coding is superior."

Regarding your comment "Good luck trying to debug a program from its visual representation.", do you remember savePipelineToFile and restorePipelineFromFile? :D Those features make it trivial to debug and replicate errors between environments.

On and off, I've programmed in both Java and Perl since the mid-nineties. I still use both in my 'webMethods' job when Flow js unsuitable. But for core integration work, webMethods Flow programming beats text-mode programming hands down. It wouldn't survive so long (neither would my job), if this wasn't the case. In fact, my personal view is the only reason for webMethods to thrive is Flow makes even average coders (like me), way much more productive then they ever would be CTRL+SPACEBAR-ing away in Eclipse.

Sadly, Software AG (and webMethods Inc. before them) have let webMethods Flow wither on the vine. There's so much they could have added to it by now - both in terms of visual language enhancements and visual tools. For example, diff and merge tools, environment comparison tools, code metrics and estimation tools, temporal debugging, automated test case generation (by using the input pipeline persisted on error), automatic documentation, some form of AoP...

> show us a "better" visual depiction of your own post above without using text?

A better representation of my post? A better representation would be me speaking these phrases to you in person, code editors open in front of us, trying to demonstrate certain use-cases where visual coding is superior. Perhaps, a printed executive summary of bullet points in your hand.

Note, I'm not against text. I'm saying that's just _one_ mode of interaction - and it shouldn't be the only one.

As for me, I've work in visual coding for over a decade (in an integration middleware product line named 'webMethods', that uses a graphical language named 'Flow', Owner: 'Software AG'). Its based on Java, its been successful for the almost the last 2 decades. I've had a job in it for 13 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W...

Nah, I'm actually with the poster. I get text-based traditional coding too, but find the ROI (time and effort) quite poor and the work dreary. You have to be either well disciplined, or get the sort of joy banging out code that running get when pushing their body through the next mile.

So one can get 'coding', or get 'running', but find themselves searching for something better. (visual coding/visual abstractions swimming)

Eh? A whine? Not to the 'rest-of-us' world.

Talk about missing the point. He (and every other customer) had to wear the hardware cost of the extra RAM, and then have Agilent nickel-and-dime them to activate it . Consider this the next time your car charges you to get past 60mph. Or use more than 3 cylinders. Or heat your seat in winter. Cars manufacturers don't do this (*)

  (*=not yet... but see http://tech.slashdot.org/story...).

There's a good reason for that - the rest of us consider such behavior greedy and trashy!

Range anxiety is normal. Redefining "normal" only works right up until your competitor goes undoes it for you.

(Competitor... Whether electric or non-electric)

Like a Prius has a battery backup, the tesla needs a petrol backup.

> I don't share her atheism, but I certainly share her ideals on capitalism.

In other words, you share her atheism. Else that, or you share her God.

http://caimbhriainmyrddin.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/hal-crowther-alarming-revival-of-ayn.html

I also suggest the books of Genesis, Daniel and Revelation.

It look to me that you will benefit reading this paper:

http://www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/sewell/AML_3497.pdf

Yes, Laura would be a great hire for any company.

At the same time, I don't think what Netflix did was evil - all I know is that it wasn't good. And the HBR piece trumpeting such behaviour is just plain silly.

Thanks - great post!

What's the disassociation being put into law about?

Good on you! :D They met their needs, and you met yours.

Your example is fair enough.

In the US. There, severance isn't just generosity (though it may be); its also an arrangement for the company to 'reach beyond the grave' and prevent you being a true free agent (i.e getting a job with the competition, contacting your company's customers, writing about problems with the company and its products)

See AC's post here http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4595209&cid=45781805 for another perspective.

I'm thankful to work in another nation where my severance (close to half my annual salary at this point) is mandatory by law. And I don't have to sign away my rights to get that money.