Prolog's Eternal September (2017)

I realized recently that the way I have been handling answers to Prolog questions on Stack Overflow contravenes the rules. I don’t mind ignoring rules if it serves a higher purpose, but I have also come to realize that it actually is counterproductive. There is a constant flow of pre-beginner questions about Prolog on Stack Overflow. The questions I’m referring to typically sound like this: “my professor said a few incoherent things about Prolog and here’s my assignment and I don’t know where to start.” The pre-beginners are not at Stack Overflow to look at existing solutions (which is what Stack Overflow wants you to do). They just want someone to do their homework for them.. They don’t come back later or develop a deeper appreciation for Prolog. Some of this is unavoidable, but the flow is very high. As much as I would like to (and have tried to) take the opportunity to foster an interest in Prolog, their questions are actually a symptom of a totally different problem that simply c ... Read full article.