Fieldstone method of programming

There is a method called Gerald Weinberg’s fieldstone writing. It means that when you discover an interesting fieldstone (a writing idea), even if you do not yet know where you will use it, you set it aside for the time being and make use of it later. Inspired by this method, I also use a similar approach: when I discover an interesting library or tool, I first write it down in the wiki and then make use of it when an opportunity arises, and it has been quite beneficial.

Differences from fieldstone writing

The difference from fieldstone writing is that, instead of waiting for an opportunity to make use of the fieldstones, I actively look for opportunities(Active learning). Even if there is already a tool or library I am familiar with, I deliberately look for a suitable opportunity (a toy project, a situation with plenty of time in the schedule, a low-risk situation, etc.) and intentionally try something unfamiliar(Exploration over exploitation).

Usually, the older you are (if there are fewer remaining time steps in a finite horizon), and the more you know (that is, the more trials you have done, or the lower the uncertainty), the more efficient it is to favor exploitation over exploration. But there are a few points to consider.

• Human healthspan may increase greatly compared to now. See also: The China Study, Lifespan: Why We Age - and Why We Don’t Have To, etc.
• Knowledge has depreciation. What was the best method when I was studying may no longer be the best now.
• You have to keep using your brain to prevent or delay the cognitive decline that begins around your 40s. In other words, the less you explore, the less able you become to explore, and a self-fulfilling prophecy comes into play.
• Right now, the world is changing rapidly thanks to generative AI. The faster the world changes, the more weight you should give to exploration.
• The whole world overemphasizes productivity (that is, exploitation), so there is a need to restore balance.

Similarities to fieldstone writing

If I occasionally look through the tools I have collected beforehand, new ideas often occur to me along the lines of, “What interesting thing could I make by combining this tool with that technique?” It is similar to discovering the structure of a new piece of writing by looking at the writing ideas collected in fieldstone writing.

In particular, distinctive pieces like Cloudflare’s Durable objects or LLM lead me to lots of fun ideas.

The problem is execution, though…