Yin Wang's Contrarian Tech Views | Generated by AI
Question: What are the unpopular or controversial ideas of Yin Wang, the author of https://www.yinwang.org?
Answer:
Yin Wang (王垠), a computer science educator and former Google engineer with over 20 years of experience, runs the blog Surely I am Joking (https://www.yinwang.org), where he shares contrarian views on programming languages, education, AI, and more. His ideas often challenge mainstream consensus in tech and academia, drawing criticism for being overly opinionated or dismissive of established norms. Below is a curated list of some of his most unpopular or controversial ideas, drawn from his posts, with brief explanations:
On Programming and Languages
- “Everything is an object” in OOP is a terrible design: Wang argues that treating primitives (like integers) as objects in languages like Java leads to unnecessary complexity and inefficiency. He calls it a “fundamental mistake” that confuses semantics with implementation, making code bloated and harder to optimize.
- Programming paradigms (e.g., FP vs. OOP) are like religious sects: He dismisses debates over functional vs. object-oriented programming as pointless tribalism, likening them to cults that prioritize ideology over practical problem-solving. Instead, he advocates mastering core concepts across paradigms without allegiance to any.
- Rust’s ownership model is overly restrictive and not truly innovative: While acknowledging Rust’s safety features, Wang critiques its borrowing rules as complicating simple code without proportional benefits, stemming from his own experience designing the Yin language.
- Formal verification and “program correctness” are overrated: Wang believes obsessing over mathematical proofs of correctness distracts from writing simple, intuitive code. He compares it to proving conjectures like the Riemann Hypothesis—useful but secondary to the creative act of building software.
On AI and Technology
- AI “superhuman vision” is a myth and misleading hype: He contends that machine learning models claiming superior image recognition are just statistical pattern-matching, not true understanding or vision. This challenges the narrative around AI advancements, calling it deceptive marketing.
- Checked exceptions in Java are flawed and linked to poor union type design: Wang, an early supporter of union types, argues checked exceptions force unnecessary boilerplate and stem from languages’ failure to handle errors elegantly, a view that irks Java defenders.
On Education and Learning
- China’s education system produces superficial knowledge without depth: He harshly criticizes it for rote imitation of Western methods without true mastery, leading to graduates who lack innovative thinking in any field—a bold claim that sparks nationalistic backlash.
- The best learners pretend to be ignorant beginners: Wang describes his “philosophy of learning” as deliberately asking “stupid” questions to uncover assumptions, watching others repeat avoidable mistakes. This “feigned ignorance” approach is seen as arrogant or inefficient by critics.
- Cello is the world’s hardest instrument due to bad teaching methods: In a non-tech tangent, he claims the cello’s difficulty is exaggerated by flawed pedagogy, comparable to poor sports coaching, and proposes radical fixes—unpopular among musicians who view it as inherent challenge.
On Broader Tech Myths
- P vs. NP is overhyped and not as revolutionary as claimed: In a deleted (but resurfaced) post, Wang downplays solving it as world-altering, arguing it wouldn’t obsolete machine learning or break encryption as dramatically as enthusiasts believe, inviting accusations of hubris.
These ideas stem from Wang’s emphasis on deep fundamentals over hype, but they often provoke debates (e.g., on Reddit and Hacker News) for their blunt tone. His blog mixes English and Chinese posts, with many critiques evolving from his work on the Yin programming language.
References:
- Surely I am Joking Blog Overview
- On Object-Oriented Programming
- Programming Paradigms as Sects
- Superhuman Machine Vision Myth
- Philosophy of Learning
- Critique of China’s Education
- P vs. NP Discussion
- Reddit Thread on OOP Critique