The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

masklinn:
Anonymous:
emurphy:
dreifus:
emurphy:

We use 'if user = "INITECH" then X' type code, but only when the situation calls for a rapid patch-test-debug cycle on a live system; that way, the other users are unaffected by the change until we're done testing it, at which point we remove the conditional.

Well, there are conditional compilation operators for that purpose - even in .net languages.

This is in an interpreted language. What compilation? :)

It doesn't, generally, make sense to talk about a language being interpreted or compiled (though it is a handy shorthand in cases where the shorthand doesn't matter- but this is not one of those cases). That distinction applies to implementations (and many implementations contain both interpreters and compilers). I don't know a whole lot about .NET languages, but aren't most of them byte-code compiled? There's no reason that you can't have conditional compilation in a byte-code compiled language- err, I mean implementation.

Well, C# is at least compiled to MSIL/CIL as ".Net Assembly" which will then be interpreted on the fly to machine code by the CLR.

And I think that yes, most languages using the CLR have to be compiled to CIL.

Correct the CLR (or java in another form) requires 'compiled' code.

masklinn · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
masklinn:
Anonymous:
emurphy:
dreifus:
emurphy:

We use 'if user = "INITECH" then X' type code, but only when the situation calls for a rapid patch-test-debug cycle on a live system; that way, the other users are unaffected by the change until we're done testing it, at which point we remove the conditional.

Well, there are conditional compilation operators for that purpose - even in .net languages.

This is in an interpreted language. What compilation? :)

It doesn't, generally, make sense to talk about a language being interpreted or compiled (though it is a handy shorthand in cases where the shorthand doesn't matter- but this is not one of those cases). That distinction applies to implementations (and many implementations contain both interpreters and compilers). I don't know a whole lot about .NET languages, but aren't most of them byte-code compiled? There's no reason that you can't have conditional compilation in a byte-code compiled language- err, I mean implementation.

Well, C# is at least compiled to MSIL/CIL as ".Net Assembly" which will then be interpreted on the fly to machine code by the CLR.

And I think that yes, most languages using the CLR have to be compiled to CIL.

Correct the CLR (or java in another form) requires 'compiled' code.

Ok, thanks for the precision (wasn't sure of it even though even Jython and IronPython have to be compiled respectively to bytecode and CIL)

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

A Wizard A True Star:

Grammar nazi. I suppose you also jump all over people who use the word "decimate" in any other sense besides "to reduce by one tenth".

No, it means "to reduce to one tenth".

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

At my place of work we often refer to SQL as "squeal". I find it quite fitting :)

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Alex Papadimoulis:

  if(Environment.UserName == "yuri")
  {
    if(MessageBox.Show(
          "Would you like to update the SQL server with the current version?"
          ,"Update",MessageBoxButtons.YesNo) == DialogResult.Yes)
    {
      service.SetProgramVersionOnSQL();
    }
  }

Perhaps Yuri has to do perform some manual procedure to upgrade the database, after which, he runs this script.

Maurits · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
A Wizard A True Star:

Grammar nazi. I suppose you also jump all over people who use the word "decimate" in any other sense besides "to reduce by one tenth".

No, it means "to reduce to one tenth".

BZZZT! You lose. Thanks for playing.

by is correct. When the Romans captured an enemy garrison of 1000 soldiers they would kill 100 of them as a matter of general principle - "decimate."

Jon Limjap · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Maurits:
Anonymous:
A Wizard A True Star:

Grammar nazi. I suppose you also jump all over people who use the word "decimate" in any other sense besides "to reduce by one tenth".

No, it means "to reduce to one tenth".

BZZZT! You lose. Thanks for playing.

by is correct. When the Romans captured an enemy garrison of 1000 soldiers they would kill 100 of them as a matter of general principle - "decimate."

It's not used on enemy garrisons. It's used on mutinous and cowardly soldiers of the Roman army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimate

maht · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

In current usage, decimation refers to an extreme reduction in the number of a population or force, usually far greater than the one tenth specified above. It perhaps more frequently describes an occurrence in which closer to one tenth of the original number remains, rather than is lost.

So everyone was right =)

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

dreifus:
Worse yet, some people pronounce C# as C-Sharp instead of C-Pound as it obviously should be.

Nice try, you almost had me believing for a second that C# was not really pronounced "C-TicTacToePlayingField".

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

dreifus:
John Bigboote:
How can you logically justify MANUALLY throwing an ArgumentOutOfRangeException from a login method? That blows my mind.

It seems to me that "string parser" similar to connectionString.Substring(connectionString.IndexOf("foo"),... would do the trick in case "foo" is not present in connectionString.

Actually I've seen similar: fetch an array of ctructs of "users with the specified name, complete with names etc". The array should always have a length of one as users are unique. So you say...

Message("Hallo " + userarray[0]);

...and it either works or throws a convenient ArgumentOutOfRangeException which you can catch later.

In case anyone is wondering, I do think the above is a crap, obfuscatory way of doing it, but I've seen it a couple of times, so the meme is out there!

Cheers,
Justin.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Mung Kee:
Ytram:
//try to connect to Sequel Server
Classic!
Yeah, I hope Sequel Server is as good as the first one.

In the UK, I always see a job posting on Jobserve (it recurs every few months - they probably are not getting the right people) looking for people with "Sequel Server" skills

Always makes me laugh when i see it!

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Just to help out Mung Kee: how does Cthulhon pronounce TCL, or for that matter TK? If it's T-C-L and T-K, then I hate to inform him that the writer of these languages disagrees with him.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

dreifus:

Cthulhon:

//try to connect to Sequel Server
I hate to rant, but I can't stand people who say/type 'sequel server' instead of "Es Kyoo El"/SQL when talking about it. Pronouncing vowel-deprived acronyms is one of the most obnoxious habits ever.
Worse yet, some people pronounce C# as C-Sharp instead of C-Pound as it obviously should be.

Surely you jest, it is of course "C-Hash"!

joost · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Just to help out Mung Kee: how does Cthulhon pronounce TCL, or for that matter TK? If it's T-C-L and T-K, then I hate to inform him that the writer of these languages disagrees with him.

I wouldn't be want to caught dead pronouncing Tcl/Tk as "Tickle/TK". This Oosterhout fellow was obviously stoned when he made that decision. What if you want to test Tcl?

rsynnott · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Jon Limjap:

It's not used on enemy garrisons. It's used on mutinous and cowardly soldiers of the Roman army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimate

_IS_? Goodness!

On a related note, I know someone who calls SQL "SQuirreL".

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

rsynnott:

On a related note, I know someone who calls SQL "SQuirreL".

That would be great it there wasn't already a java DB app called SQuirreL

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

"People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done."

I do that all the time just to annoy people. Works great, at one time I managed to get one stupid ahle who effed up out two biggest products so angry he walked out of a meeting, right in front of the customers.

Never underestimate the value of small, annoying habits that the customers will not see as annoying!

Magic Duck · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

For some reason quite a few native english speakers seem to think that everyone pronounces all the acronyms same way.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Magic Duck:

Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

For some reason quite a few native english speakers seem to think that everyone pronounces all the acronyms same way.

a native english speaker i work with pronouce URL instead of speaking out the acronym

it really does my head in!

Richard Nixon · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Magic Duck:
Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

For some reason quite a few native english speakers seem to think that everyone pronounces all the acronyms same way.

Pardon? Where did I say that I thought everyone verbalized URL in the same way? I never did. I merely stated that I had never heard it any other way than hearing the individual letters. It seems that you need to stop being a jerk and learn some very basic set theory.

Mung Kee · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Jon Limjap:
Maurits:
Anonymous:
A Wizard A True Star:

Grammar nazi. I suppose you also jump all over people who use the word "decimate" in any other sense besides "to reduce by one tenth".

No, it means "to reduce to one tenth".

BZZZT! You lose. Thanks for playing.

by is correct. When the Romans captured an enemy garrison of 1000 soldiers they would kill 100 of them as a matter of general principle - "decimate."

It's not used on enemy garrisons. It's used on mutinous and cowardly soldiers of the Roman army.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimate

Admittedly<o:p></o:p>, I did not know the official definition. If you hear the word used on tv, they repeatedly use it in the context of complete annihilation.

Mung Kee · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Mung Kee:
Ytram:
//try to connect to Sequel Server
Classic!
Yeah, I hope Sequel Server is as good as the first one.
In the UK, I always see a job posting on Jobserve (it recurs every few months - they probably are not getting the right people) looking for people with "Sequel Server" skills

Always makes me laugh when i see it!

I have had recruiters on a number of occassions ask me if I had COBRA experience, as opposed to CORBA. I then inform them that I have experience in neither "bridge health plans" nor snake charming.

Magic Duck · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:
Magic Duck:

Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

For some reason quite a few native english speakers seem to think that everyone pronounces all the acronyms same way.

Pardon? Where did I say that I thought everyone verbalized URL in the same way? I never did. I merely stated that I had never heard it any other way than hearing the individual letters. It seems that you need to stop being a jerk and learn some very basic set theory.

Please, re-read my post. I didn't say you said so. I'm sorry if I have understood phrase "quite a few native english speakers" wrong (you see, I'm not native english speaker). I didn't know it meant "everyone" or "Richard Nixon".

It's just my experiences (both IRL and internet) with with people belonging to the set I was talking about. You made your statement sound like it's something unnatural that someone might actually pronounce "URL". Don't be surprised if someone (not me) accuses you narrow minded.

johnl · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

"Umm, they can't be "fairly unique design habits". They are either unique or they are not. No qualifier is allowed."

Well, actually, one is. An equivalent sentence would be "it would be fair to say his design habits were unique". Of course, you can't prove this sentence 100%. No doubt there's other idiots out there, but this is a "fair" description of his work.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

stewie:

Say "C Pound" in the U.K. and you'll be referring to low-grade currency.

Saying "C Hash" there would be clearer.

"C#" is pronounced "C octothorpe" you ignorant masses.

Richard Nixon · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Magic Duck:
Richard Nixon:
Magic Duck:

Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

For some reason quite a few native english speakers seem to think that everyone pronounces all the acronyms same way.

Pardon? Where did I say that I thought everyone verbalized URL in the same way? I never did. I merely stated that I had never heard it any other way than hearing the individual letters. It seems that you need to stop being a jerk and learn some very basic set theory.

Please, re-read my post. I didn't say you said so. I'm sorry if I have understood phrase "quite a few native english speakers" wrong (you see, I'm not native english speaker). I didn't know it meant "everyone" or "Richard Nixon".

It's just my experiences (both IRL and internet) with with people belonging to the set I was talking about. You made your statement sound like it's something unnatural that someone might actually pronounce "URL". Don't be surprised if someone (not me) accuses you narrow minded.

You quoted what I said and in your reply made a claim that people assume things aren't pronounced in different ways. The natural implication is that the person you are replying to has made this assumption. Leaving alone the fact that you've made a massive generalization with only your personal experience to back it up, there's no reason to quote my statement unless you are actually replying to it.

Now, your second paragraph seems to imply that I was correct in seeing the implication and that you believe I assume everything is pronounced one way. Even if you put "(not me") into your statement there, your thoughts are still revealed. Why don't you grab a piece of fat and slide off?

johnl · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

"C#" is pronounced "C octothorpe" you ignorant masses.

What??? It's "C crosshatch"! Actually, I think it's a reference to music... But then everyone knew that, right?

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

You're kidding, right??!!

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Me too! Let me help...

bool isTure() { return isUri(System.Environment.UserName(); }

dhromed · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Me too! Let me help...

bool isTure() { return isUri(System.Environment.UserName(); }

No no no.

Like this:

bolo isTure() { rerutn isIru(Sytsem.Enrivonnemt.UresNema(); }

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Then you obviously have never worked under an impossible deadline, then you have done things like this just to get it out. That happens, it can't be avoided. I do speak for myself on this, because I have a real job, and I dont spend my all time posting on here and criticizing other peoples work, because at least hey they are doing some.

johnl · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

What if IsTrue (or IsTure!) returns some strange thing. What we should really do is...

IsTrue(IsTrue(true))

Better, but it's still not right...

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

CornedBee:
Richard Nixon:

People actually pronounce URL? I have never heard that done.

You should talk to a German-speaker then. We always pronounce URL (as "oordl", the 'd' being only hinted at as the result of the r-l connection).

Being a native German speaker this is, erm, complete news to me. Plus, I cannot imagine how you can ever get a 'd' there, sorry.

travisowens · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:
Are you going to define the isTure method or not? Come on Anonymous - I can barely contain my excitement.

I didn't write the anon post adding the IsTrue() but I'm just letting you know he has been forbidden from defining IsTrue() as the IEE is currently meeting to reconsider the inner workings of True to provide for a more rebust model.

Unfortunetly the new standard is going to require a new cpu to understand the complexity of trueness in this new age, oh andy our light switches won't work anymore either.

We're considering a 4 tier system but we're not sure which one to pick...

False, True, MostlyTrue, AllTrue, HalfTrue

False, True, MostlyFalse, AllFalse, HalfFalse

So we've decided to just merge the two!

False, AllFalse, MostlyFalse, HalfFalse, HalfTrue, MostlyTrue, AllTrue, True

emptyset · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Magic Duck:
Don't be surprised if someone (not me) accuses you narrow minded.

done.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
dreifus:
Worse yet, some people pronounce C# as C-Sharp instead of C-Pound as it obviously should be.

Nice try, you almost had me believing for a second that C# was not really pronounced "C-TicTacToePlayingField".

you mean Nought and Crosses, yeah?

emptyset · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:
Why don't you grab a piece of fat and slide off?

libertarians just immediately jump on the defensive. it must mean their life philosophy is easily attacked.

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Oooh Oooh! I got this one!

I believe decimate means "reduce to 1/10th", not by 1/10th.

snark snark snicker snark

Richard Nixon · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

emptyset:
Richard Nixon:
Why don't you grab a piece of fat and slide off?

libertarians just immediately jump on the defensive. it must mean their life philosophy is easily attacked.

What part of, "I'm not a libertarian" don't you understand?

I know that you think you're clever in constantly bringing that up but it's a little old.

Of course, I shouldn't expect much from a guy whose most exciting moment over the past year was the time he got into an argument on the Internet. Get outside more.

bitz · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

didnt you know it is pronounced (h)URL?
and C(the artist formerly known as Price)

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

I'm going to use my gooey (written in see pound) to store an earl on the sequel server.

Mike R · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
I'm going to use my gooey (written in see pound) to store an earl on the sequel server.

I worked at a shop that pronounced URL as earl. Every time I head it I cringed. Through persistent pronunciation of URL as ewe are ell, most of the team was converted. Never before and never since have I heard it pronounced like a man's name. I thought it was just a small company microcultural thing.

I was wrong [:'(]

2005-09-23 Reply Admin

The # in C# is not an octothorpe. Go look closely at the box, it's the musical sharp sign, which is slanted differently. (The vertical bars go straight up and the horizontal bars slant, rather than the octothorpe where the vertical bars slant and the horizontal bars are level).

mjonhanson · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

CMM level 1 is "heroic" development. The Mad Ukranian seems to have a god complex...

travisowens · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:
emptyset:

Richard Nixon:
Why don't you grab a piece of fat and slide off?

libertarians just immediately jump on the defensive. it must mean their life philosophy is easily attacked.

What part of, "I'm not a libertarian" don't you understand?

I know that you think you're clever in constantly bringing that up but it's a little old.

Of course, I shouldn't expect much from a guy whose most exciting moment over the past year was the time he got into an argument on the Internet. Get outside more.

I could point out only one of you are taking this argument seriously and it sure Richard Nixon, so perhaps he's not the guy that needs to get out more. As he said "their life philosophy is easily attacked" because if you didn't feel attacked, you wouldn't have responded to his post so colorfully.

emptyset · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Richard Nixon:
Of course, I shouldn't expect much from a guy whose most exciting moment over the past year was the time he got into an argument on the Internet. Get outside more.

for starters, i wasn't speaking about you, specifically. i was making a general comment about libertarians. why do you feel you must take things so personally? we're not talking about you all the time.

actually, my most exciting moment this past year was helping a cow give birth.

Alexis de Torquemada · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

stewie:
Why? Did you think they were referring to something other than SQL Server?

Is there a Big Book of Techie Pronunciations that all programmers are required to follow?

Only if they want to be taken seriously by other techies.

emptyset · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

travisowens:
I could point out only one of you are taking this argument seriously and it sure Richard Nixon, so perhaps he's not the guy that needs to get out more. As he said "their life philosophy is easily attacked" because if you didn't feel attacked, you wouldn't have responded to his post so colorfully.

shush, you. he might make a discovery. [;)]

it's entertaining to discuss things with someone who views people as mathematical objects. on a related note, libertarians often homeschool to the social detriment of their children.

Mung Kee · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

Alexis de Torquemada:
stewie:
Why? Did you think they were referring to something other than SQL Server?

Is there a Big Book of Techie Pronunciations that all programmers are required to follow?

Only if they want to be taken seriously by other techies.

You know, I wondered why no one was talking me seriously over the last 8 years. As it turns out it was all because I was saying "sequel" instead of S-Q-L. Never too late to start saying it the "right way", I guess.

You come off as a slashdot reader, with that attitude.

Mung Kee · 2005-09-23 Reply Admin

"taking"

The Revenge of the Mad Ukrainian

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