08-31-2016, 11:23 PM
Was just reading an essay on open-source (computer) programming and a, maybe, profound insight popped out:
"With enough eyes, every bug is shallow."
Translated from programmerese, what the writer meant is that when there's a problem (bug) in a program (text), it can be very deep (hard to disentangle from the rest of the code (poem)) or even find for the lone programmer (writer). However, with enough user/programmer (reader/poet) eyes on the code, one set (or several) will not only discover the problem but present an elegant and functional solution which also addresses all its deep-rooted (in the rest of the code/poem) ramifications.
Another way to say this is, "I'm smarter than you are, and you're smarter than I am." That is, my poem may be genius, but your solution to a weakness I didn't even see is genius, too, even if we don't think we're at the same level of skill.
So that's why crit works, even if it seems snide or shallow.
"With enough eyes, every bug is shallow."
Translated from programmerese, what the writer meant is that when there's a problem (bug) in a program (text), it can be very deep (hard to disentangle from the rest of the code (poem)) or even find for the lone programmer (writer). However, with enough user/programmer (reader/poet) eyes on the code, one set (or several) will not only discover the problem but present an elegant and functional solution which also addresses all its deep-rooted (in the rest of the code/poem) ramifications.
Another way to say this is, "I'm smarter than you are, and you're smarter than I am." That is, my poem may be genius, but your solution to a weakness I didn't even see is genius, too, even if we don't think we're at the same level of skill.
So that's why crit works, even if it seems snide or shallow.
Non-practicing atheist
