IDE Bashing (Was Re: [erlang-questions] "Erlang as a First Language" -- crazy? or just stupid?)

[David Lloyd]

Hey People,

IDEs are simply a tool - nothing less and nothing more; a good programmer doesn't really need one. 

Programming is an art form that doesn't need tools.

However some programmers or artisans find the right tools useful to them and other people, who are not programmers, find that with tools they can be somewhat successful at programming but may not ever become a true artist or Michalangelo.

Don't bash IDEs in general - they, like Erlang itself - have their uses.

Remember: you don't NEED Erlang to be a good programmer either - programming is an art not defined by the language (which is the tool) one is using. Just as art can be poetry, painting, sculpture or even modern art that baffles the imagination.

It's far better to ask, "When is it appropriate to use this tool (Erlang, this particular IDE)?" imho.

DSL