In my head, I was thinking of someone like Ansel Adams when I made my comparison. So, I was thinking of pioneers in the field. I believe I see what you mean, that at this point there is plenty of knowledge in digital photography. I was just trying to invoke the idea that the algorithms and thought processes that go into creating a project are not necessarily reflected in the actual program that is written.
Now, I have little doubt that a lot of this is because he used to have to program so close to the metal. The abstraction was the computer, to a large extent. The hope now, I suppose, is that he can focus on creating abstractions with the aim of a maintainable and flexible engine.
Yep, but even then its still just Wolf3D which basically is a 20 year old game/technology. Certainly a good first step into graphics programming in functional languages but i doubt we will ever see something like Unreal Engine 4 written in Haskell. All the effort put into C-based Engines has such a legacy that starting from scratch would be an immense effort for questionable benefits.
Now, I have little doubt that a lot of this is because he used to have to program so close to the metal. The abstraction was the computer, to a large extent. The hope now, I suppose, is that he can focus on creating abstractions with the aim of a maintainable and flexible engine.