[Haskell-cafe] A different Maybe maybe

[Dan Weston]

I was not implying that the others' responses actually were critical. I 
was implying that many (especially people newer to Haskell or lacking 
postgraduate degrees in mathematics or computer science) would interpret 
them as such, and if not quickly clarified, might discourage non-gurus 
from contributing new ideas in the off-chance that they are not new and 
will be shot down. :(

Knowledge can only be gained, but the freshness of ideas can only be 
lost. Thus do libertines and virgins each have something to offer the other.

I personally feel that a well-placed emoticon (such as the ;-) you have 
so effectively used) goes a long way in a medium without face-to-face 
contact.

Dan

Dougal Stanton wrote:
> On 08/03/07, Dan Weston <westondan at imageworks.com> wrote:
> 
>> Do not let the multiple responses of how you apparently wasted your time
>> reinventing (or do they mean stealing?) something Church did long ago
>> dampen your enthusiasm to learn exciting things and then share them.
> 
> I agree with your sentiment that discovering things is fun, no matter
> how many times it has been done before. But I don't think the other
> respondents were critical. I read them as properly congratulatory, not
> sarcastic. It's not everyone that gets to claim they had the same idea
> as Alonzo Church! ;-)
> 
> Maybe we need a You Could Have Invented Church Encoding (And Maybe You
> Already Have) [1] blog post somewhere...
> 
> D.
> 
> 
> [1]: 
> http://sigfpe.blogspot.com/2006/08/you-could-have-invented-monads-and.html
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