[jphoward]

I don't think you know what "cringe" means... this really makes you cringe? And they didn't say it was crazy, they said it was interesting enough to raise eyebrows. Everyone knows there are amazing coders in hedge funds, but not many hedge funds have forked a language - it is worthy of discussion here.

[mpalmer]

I think you're reaching for an interpretation of what I said that's easier to challenge.

Once you explain to the average person what a compiler is, they can draw a straight line from writing the compiler to the hedge fund reducing risk, gaining a competitive edge, whatever.

But this writer is choosing to hold up custom compilers as even more of an oddball move than counting cars, or shipping gold overseas. It's lazy writing from someone who is mistaking their lack of technical knowledge for common-sense insight into how strange software is. It is cringe.