Quote:
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Originally Posted by Texan
That [wiring vacuum tubes together] really isn't programming any more than revising an electrial circuit is. When you see someone substitute one circuit board for another, you don't think, "Wow, that's great programming."  |
I'm reminded of ENIAC, where programming consisted of moving plugs around on a board designed specifically for that purpose (it looked kinda like an old-time telephone switchboard). To us, programming consists of moving characters around in a text file designed specifically for that purpose. In both cases, there is a box full of vaccuum tubes or a wafer full of transistors sitting behind the program to interpret it. In both cases, programming makes an actual mechanical change to the machine -- with ENIAC, to the plugboard, and with us, to the patterns of charge or magnetism in the hard disk, flash memory, whatever. I don't think it's fair to call one programming and the other not.
p.s. sorry bout the double-post
