This Week I Learned #4

Here are some of the things I learned this week, in the order I’ve noted them down.

The Blub Paradox (thanks Kim!). Coined by Paul Graham in his 2001 essay “Beating The Averages”, this concept refers to the inability of a programmer using a hypothetical mid-level language, called Blub, to:
- Use a lower-level language due to lack of features they are familiar with in Blub.
- Realize that they are looking at a higher-level language when they evaluate one.
I have some reservations about this one, based on my own experience, but it’s a nice tidbit nonetheless.
I did some reading on flying machines this week and picked up a new word: ornithopter.
I almost feel ashamed for not knowing this one until this week¹: deuteragonist and tritagonist.
This answer by Dave Abrahams to a Quora question about the most important things involved in delivering a great software library. If I had to pick only one, that would be “rigorously document“.
The .org TLD is saved!