Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Why Programmers Should Learn Economics. Joel On Software writes about why Computer Science college students should learn microeconomics: Why should CS majors learn econ? Because a programmer who understands the fundamentals of business is going to be a more valuable programmer, to a business, than a programmer who doesn't. That's all there is to it. I can't tell you how many times I've been frustrated by programmers with crazy ideas that make sense in code but don't make sense in capitalism. If you understand this stuff, you're a more valuable programmer, and you'll get rewarded for it, for reasons which you'll also learn in micro. [Mises Economics Blog] I have to disagree with this idea. I'm a programmer who took microeconomics (and macroeconomics) in college, and it was never of any use at all in my job. What Joel seems to be looking for is common sense, something which colleges are quite unqualified to teach. 1:22:26 PM    comment () Laser Painting Could Lead to 25-Year Prison Term. lowy writes "According to this USA Today article, a New Jersey man was charged under federal anti-terrorism laws with shining a laser beam at a jet flying over his home. The Feds arrested him after he flashed a police helicopter searching for the source of the beam. He now faces up to 25 years in prison under Patriot Act charges." It seems to be happening around the country, as our earlier post makes clear. [Slashdot] I note that the Feds actually have no such authority, and everything about their involvement is illegal under the Constitution. There were six people on the jet, so the man should be charged with six counts of attempted murder by the local authorities. Of course, it would only happen like that in a country that had the Rule of Law, which is decidedly not the case in America. 1:12:52 PM    comment ()

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