ezyang’s blog

the arc of software bends towards understanding

On cargo culting and hacking

two inflammatory vignettes The term to cargo cult is one with derogatory connotations: it indicates the act of imitating the superficial exterior without actually understanding the underlying causal structure of the situation. The implication is that one should try to understand what one is doing, before doing it. There is, however, an ounce of truth […]

  • February 28, 2011