4 ms·

One of those terms that has lasted a very long time. That and yak shaving are something we are all familiar with. Good to see the roots of them every now and

One of those terms that has lasted a very long time. That and yak shaving are something we are all familiar with. Good to see the roots of them every now and again. (Yak shaving origin is here https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yak_shaving https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yak_shaving Any seemingly pointless activity which is actually necessary to solve a problem which solves a problem which, several levels of recursion later, solves the real problem you're working on. ie: Wash the car (goal) -> broken hose, need to go to hardware store to get new one -> car won't start -> need ride to get new battery -> can't ask neighbor since I have their lawn mower -> took the blade off to sharpen -> which is now why I'm in the basement looking for the grinding wheel.

telesilla 10y ago
I am hesitant to post this due to ads, but this is exactly illustrating your comment http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gp98t http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gp98t [Hal fixes the kitchen lightbulb]
- leoc 10y ago
  Yak shaves with circular dependencies are the worst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLpKewnxp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLpKewnxp4 Come to think of it, this is also how bug-reporting interactions tend to go. And I wasn't expecting to hear Harry Belafonte doing an Irish accent!
Anthony-G 10y ago
Wow! That’s what I do (both kinds described by the Wiktionary link). My wife is always giving out to me for it – she just doesn’t understand the dependencies :/. I never realised there was a term for it. Looks like I’m one of today’s lucky 10,000[1]! [1] https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/
s_kilk 10y ago
There's a wonderful bit in Malcolm in the Middle where Hal gets into some top-tier yak shaving: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SY99U3cpsIw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SY99U3cpsIw Edit: damn it, telesilla beat me to it, and with a better quality link too
jimmaswell 10y ago
That's a common theme in Zelda and probably other video games, and a prominent cartoon example I remember is on Ed Edd and Eddy
- leoc 10y ago
  See also Old Man Murray on "Who killed adventure games?" http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html . At least the individual steps in real-world yak-shaves usually make sense ...

telesilla 10y ago

I am hesitant to post this due to ads, but this is exactly illustrating your comment http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gp98t http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gp98t [Hal fixes the kitchen lightbulb]

leoc 10y ago
Yak shaves with circular dependencies are the worst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLpKewnxp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLpKewnxp4 Come to think of it, this is also how bug-reporting interactions tend to go. And I wasn't expecting to hear Harry Belafonte doing an Irish accent!

Anthony-G 10y ago

Wow! That’s what I do (both kinds described by the Wiktionary link). My wife is always giving out to me for it – she just doesn’t understand the dependencies :/. I never realised there was a term for it. Looks like I’m one of today’s lucky 10,000[1]! [1] https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/

s_kilk 10y ago

There's a wonderful bit in Malcolm in the Middle where Hal gets into some top-tier yak shaving: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SY99U3cpsIw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SY99U3cpsIw Edit: damn it, telesilla beat me to it, and with a better quality link too

jimmaswell 10y ago

That's a common theme in Zelda and probably other video games, and a prominent cartoon example I remember is on Ed Edd and Eddy

leoc 10y ago
See also Old Man Murray on "Who killed adventure games?" http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html http://www.oldmanmurray.com/features/77.html . At least the individual steps in real-world yak-shaves usually make sense ...