We used to get in trouble in school for copying. Now, it’s how most programmers make their living! Can’t figure out how to make that div tag line up? Google-Copy-Paste. Can’t get your objects to serialize? Google-Copy-Paste. Can’t get your database query to work? Google-Copy-Paste.

There’s lots of talk about intellectual property and copyright infringement. But the fact is, in the world of software development, 99% of what you see is copied, massaged, reworked, preexisting code. It even has its own made-up word. It’s called “googlegramming” (i.e. programming via Google). This is a dirty word in development circles as it implies that a “googlegrammer” doesn’t really know how to write code. They just know how to copy and paste. These guys are always using a hammer to drive in a screw, metaphorically speaking. I’ve worked with some and its extremely frustrating.

But, is all googlegramming a bad thing? No. I don’t think so. You can take old code and use it to do something new and innovative. That, to me, is when googlegramming is allowed, nay, encouraged. (Although most would argue that this goes beyond the definition of the new, made-up word.) Using canned code is a great way to speed up development of a new creation. As the chair of the Comp-Sci department once told me, “Plagiarism is the highest form of productivity!”

And if you think this is a new phenomenon, check out this amazing youtube video that proves that Disney knew a thing or two about productivity long before the personal computer existed.

Life is slowing regaining normalcy in our home. Last night we were finally both home right after work, with food in the frig, and a working kitchen in which to cook it.

In reference to my previous post about the mixer, Tammy used her mom’s recipe for from-scratch, mashed potatoes and improved on it! The mixer worked wonderfully. She prepared an excellent meal. You go girl!