17 ms·

_why's site is updated

391 points by feedward 14y ago

NathanKP 14y ago
Does anyone here know the tool or technique to convert the printer format on his website to human readable format on screen? Edit: So far I've discovered I can go to http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/TRUMPETS http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/TRUMPETS for example to download a file. Trying to figure out how to read the format at the moment. Edit #2: Looks like it is PCL format. I'm trying to find a decent Mac OS X program for converting PCL to image. Edit #3: Managed to generate this: http://i.imgur.com/AL9mSLr.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AL9mSLr.jpg The quality is horrible though. I see now that some other people have already linked rendered versions in high quality, though. It was fun trying to figure it out though. :)
- abbot2 14y ago
  Looks much like printer escape sequences.
- cremno 14y ago
  GhostPCL: http://www.ghostscript.com/download/gpcldnld.html http://www.ghostscript.com/download/gpcldnld.html
- srl 14y ago
  It's HP-PCL. I tried using http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ps/pcl2ps http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ps/pcl2ps, but all I get is a rectangle with the top edge missing.
- itafroma 14y ago
  On OS X (Mountain Lion), I used PCL to PDF[1] and got the same output that gabrielgironda got[2]. [1]: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5540904 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5540904
  - NathanKP 14y ago
    Thanks for the link. I'll try it out.
danielweber 14y ago
> Public Print Queue SPOOL/DESOLEE 2013-01-06T08:21Z SPOOL/TRUMPETS 2013-04-12T19:43Z SPOOL/SOLICIT 2013-04-12T20:10Z Amen, brother.
picklefish 14y ago
Here is the previous HN post detailing the previous printouts https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087
croddin 14y ago
The next change to his site should be on the 18th: http://www.scribd.com/doc/119155590/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/119155590/DESOLEE
- c-bayprogrammer 14y ago
  How apt. Ruby is from Japan. April 18th is, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_18#Holidays_and_observances http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_18#Holidays_and_observanc...) "Invention Day" in Japan.
gabrielgironda 14y ago
Here are all the PCL files rendered to PNG: http://www.gironda.org/pcl/DESOLEE.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/DESOLEE.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/TRUMPETS.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/TRUMPETS.png
- jeffgreco 14y ago
  Very exciting: "It's very difficult to advertise one's self from exile - am I crazy to think it can be done?"
- enoptix 14y ago
  the second image uses the word "exile" several times. Exile is typically associated with being cast out from one's group. The _why saga was before my time as a Rubyist but I always thought he vanished, i.e. left on his own accord. Was there an "exile" event that I am not aware of? Or does anyone know what he's talking about?
  - nollidge 14y ago
    > Was there an "exile" event that I am not aware of? No. He left of his own accord. Read it as "self-imposed exile" or something.
  - mtsmith85 14y ago
    It would be only conjecture, but maybe by having light shed on his actual identity, he felt his hand had been forced? Thus leading him into exile?
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - steveklabnik 14y ago
    He did delete his own accounts, yes, but that doesn't mean that he didn't _feel_ unwelcome. Also, if you take _why as being separate from the human being who played him ("Subject" is the best I've got), Subject could have imposed exile upon _why, because they're not the same person. http://words.steveklabnik.com/why-is-a-role-not-a-person http://words.steveklabnik.com/why-is-a-role-not-a-person
vorvzakone 14y ago
HN needs to get over _why. So he's a bit eccentric. This isn't news.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
asciimo 14y ago
To respond to one of the questions posed in the second print job, yes, I think he is on the right track here.
croddin 14y ago
The site is served from github. This appears to be the repo: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com
- mpuckett 14y ago
  https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4b65250ac454061f5863e3575735e063b118700e https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4b65250ac... Has anyone converted IDEAs to an image yet?
dccoolgai 14y ago
Based on a cursory examination of the comments, it seems like this would be a lot of fun (I'm guessing it's like a riddle or something)? Would someone care to offer a primer or background on what this is / how you start following the clues?
- phillmv 14y ago
  It's just _why being _why. If you're late to the party, try reading: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.single.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/...
- ngcazz 14y ago
  I found the correspondence between the names of the files and their contents extremely amusing.
milesf 14y ago
I've had April 18th in my calendar for weeks after the initial activity at whytheluckystiff.net. Forget the haters, Ruby's better with _why around.
- michaelhoffman 14y ago
  Who are "the haters?"
  - tvon 14y ago
    Your standard contrarians, I guess.
  - donaldguy 14y ago
    Mostly people who were understandably pissed off that along with wiping out his blogs, twitter, etc., he took down his github and abandoned his projects without helping to oversee a transition of stewardship. This included a few high-profile rubyists. And then presumably also some people who always thought his whimsy was a detriment to the ruby community (by making it seem less professional or something). (Not my opinions, just information)
    - hkmurakami 14y ago
      I'd probably include the people who were trying to figure out his real life identity.
    - michaelhoffman 14y ago
      Are there a substantial number of "haters" who have stated that Ruby is better with _why gone? It seems like a straw man.
      - milesf 14y ago
        It's not a large number of people, but rather some who hold a lot of influence and sway who've attacked _why.
netghost 14y ago
Hooray.
timinman 14y ago
Awesome. See you on the 18th!
nidrash 14y ago
i've had a big problem with the site on my Blackberry for a looooong tyme, it only started working yesterday...!:(
chasingtheflow 14y ago
How did people know/figure out that it was a PCL file?
- itafroma 14y ago
  PCL is a well-known format and _why (or whoever is controlling the domain) did this a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087
  - chasingtheflow 14y ago
    thanks!
- callahad 14y ago
  $ file DESOLEE DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data
- gabrielgironda 14y ago
  $ file DESOLEE DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data $ whatis -s 1 file file (1) - determine file type
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- donaldguy 14y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.single.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/... http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/15/why-a-tale-of-a-post-modern-genius/ http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/15/why-a-tale-of-a-p... TL;DR a prolific pseudonymous rubyist who was very active in the ruby and rails community. Noted for his particularly whimsical (and/or arful) style of approaching problems and communication. Probably best known for "why's poignant guide to ruby", currently mirrored here: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.html http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.htm...
milesf 14y ago
Amazing that a guy who disappeared almost 4 years ago can make it to the top of Hacker News, more than a few times, just by an obscure change to a basically defunct website. I think it's pretty safe to say people love why the lucky stiff. He's funny, provocative, mysterious, strange, smart, creative... how could anyone _not_ want to see him back? We need more men & women in the world like _why.
- hkmurakami 14y ago
  As a corollary, we need more men & women in the world who love and appreciate people like _why, so that people who are like him but are less confident about showing their character in public (or even just to their immediate peers) would be more comfortable with doing so. In other words, to be more accepting and appreciate of each others' quirks and differences.
  - hariis 14y ago
    It works the other way around. Be who you are first. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
    - hkmurakami 14y ago
      That's easy for you and I to say, who are (presumably) fairly strong willed in being who we are. But what about our peers who are afraid, right now, in being themselves? Yes, seeing others shake off the naysayers as they blaze a path of genuine individualism and (positive) weirdness is encouraging, but surely this isn't a binary situation where we can only have one or the other.
      - milesf 14y ago
        What I like are safe zones, such as smaller communities within a larger. The club I run does that (http://www.fvrb.org http://www.fvrb.org). We really strive to not only be accepting, but encourage others to take risks and be willing to fail or look foolish. If someone threatens that safe zone at our club, I remove them. We simply do not tolerate people who are disrespectful to others. That doesn't mean we agree on everything (in fact we argue all the time!) but as long as things remain respectful, and apologies are publicly made when the line is crossed, our club remains healthy. Smaller communities are, IMHO, the best way to foster growth in those of us with fears about being different.
stuaxo 14y ago
Like the david bowie of creative coding which can only be a good thing.
cxhristian 14y ago
The site just updated with another file: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/e65bf73e20c61a904537c73ed99df26cab3541a6 https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/e65bf73e2... http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/CAPRICE http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/CAPRICE I don't have any pcl to image tools so I can't check what it is.
notjoeflynn 14y ago
A CAPRICE PCL that was just added: http://cl.ly/OF2O http://cl.ly/OF2O
kroo 14y ago
Here are all the files from the git repo converted to png: http://imgur.com/a/WkWtP http://imgur.com/a/WkWtP And PDF: http://cl.ly/3Y423m390Y1Z http://cl.ly/3Y423m390Y1Z Edit: added imgur album.
duiker101 14y ago
guys leave him alone... he will let everyone know if he wants any attention. If ever. And this is fine. It must be up to him. Don't push it.
- Kiro 14y ago
  A bit late to jump on the "leave him alone" bandwagon considering the obvious attention seeking updates to his homepage.
Bjoern 14y ago
_why, please come back.
51Cards 14y ago
New file: CAPRICE Converted to PDF from PCL here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/135653743/-why-Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135653743/-why-Caprice
alpb 14y ago
Why does nobody think that the guy posted this here (@feedward) is _why himself?
- milesf 14y ago
  Didn't consider that :) Maybe _why is feedward. The account has no other submissions and no comments. It was created on September 22, 2012. Does that date stick out as being significant?
  - feedward 14y ago
    Honestly, I'm not _why.
    - milesf 14y ago
      I believe you :) It wouldn't be very _why-like to flat out deny it.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
virtuz 14y ago
]This is a pretty interesting trail to follow; it feels pretty personal. KIT. Peace.
wubbfindel 14y ago
New 5 minutes ago: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4bc2fbde5055e78b60e957dabfeffa387783c81f https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4bc2fbde5...
joshmcmillan 14y ago
Another new file: HOMEWORK PDF version here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework (I've rotated the PDF 180 degrees; the original PCL is upside down)
- catch404 14y ago
  Looks like the homework is to make an OCaml client for reading the spool files. Perhaps this is the start of a poignant guide to OCaml?
lifeformed 14y ago
Can someone provide some backstory to this? Who is _why, and why is his reappearance interesting?
- milesf 14y ago
  http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/...
- eightpersimmons 14y ago
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- teod 14y ago
  I remember reading [Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby](http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/) back when I first started out learning ruby. I'm not familiar with his other projects, but I think they mainly dealt with ruby. A few years ago he randomly deleted his entire web presence and essentially disappeared.
milesf 14y ago
Summary: Who's this guy _why? (also known as why the lucky stiff): http://bit.ly/whytheluckystiff http://bit.ly/whytheluckystiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff -- The site http://whytheluckystiff.net http://whytheluckystiff.net is being hosted on GitHub under this account: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/ https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/ -- The git repo for the site has seen activity today, and has sparked conversation: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/issues https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/issues -- The site is serving up files in PCL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_Command_Language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_Command_Language -- Here are the contents of these files converted from PCL into images: http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635255/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635255/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635189/Trumpets http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635189/Trumpets http://www.scribd.com/doc/135650965/Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135650965/Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework
- bmelton 14y ago
  Any idea on what the erased bit on DESOLEE is after the end? Looks very clearly like something was written there, but I can't make it out.. something about 'three' or maybe 'there'.
  - binarycrusader 14y ago
    It looks like "three re.... paper jam those ...ogh ....." to me.
  - _rs 14y ago
    See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5017921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5017921 - still not sure, but might help you out
- x__ 14y ago
  How did you find out which github account hosted the site?
joelmichael 14y ago
_why, to respond to your questions in SOLICIT, you don't have to play the _why character if you don't want to. Most of us are happy to see you, whether you act bizarre or not. We miss your insight and commentary and sense of humor. Experiment if you like, and ignore the jerks. For everyone else, _why made some videos before, here is my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZ_htL1rOI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZ_htL1rOI
- sabat 14y ago
  Hear hear! _why, if you're listening, joelmichael speaks for many/most of us: we just wish you'd come back. You don't have to be a character. We'd just like to have _you around.
- davedx 14y ago
  Wow, the guy was seriously funny. I remember reading the poignant guide to Ruby and finding it almost a bit much, but that video is fantastic.
- canadev 14y ago
  haha, i am trying to decipher whether that video has any meaning or not; regardless i found it quite enjoyable.
- coolj 14y ago
  "It's like I'm superman, and lexicon Luther has a big chunk of vocabulary confounding kryptonite and he's jabbing it right in my thesaural gland..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du_RTMmofWM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du_RTMmofWM
fatbat 14y ago
Just a random-lol-thought but somehow my brain floated this. Could _why = Satoshi Nakamoto?
- fsiefken 14y ago
  no. i think satoshi nakamoto is from the old world, while _why is from the new world. but both are from a similar generational background and from the 80s hacker culture. these mavericks geniuses are rare but exist in more subcultures (music, religion, magick, skeptics, science, cryptography)
- milesf 14y ago
  _why = Keyser Söze? :)
doki_pen 14y ago
If you look in the revision history there was an IDEAS file. Someone mentioned it and got downvoted, not sure why. Sorry, best I could do: http://imgur.com/VgossGD http://imgur.com/VgossGD
doki_pen 14y ago
There is also TEST, but as far as I can tell, it's pretty boring and not worth posting.
gcr 14y ago
How do we know this is really _why? I think someone could have registered the domain after it expired.
- mattdeboard 14y ago
  Occam's razor says so
  - milesf 14y ago
    The handwriting and pictures look a lot like his. If this is someone spoofing _why, then kudos to them. They're doing a great job.
- stormbrew 14y ago
  Domain Name: WHYTHELUCKYSTIFF.NET Created on..............: 03-JAN-2002 Expires on..............: 03-JAN-2014 Record last updated on..: 13-DEC-2012 Status..................: ACTIVE Nope.
thomasfl 14y ago
Feelgood Ruby news of the day.
brenfrow 14y ago
Public Print Queue SPOOL/DESOLEE 2013-01-06T08:21Z SPOOL/TRUMPETS 2013-04-12T19:43Z SPOOL/SOLICIT 2013-04-12T20:10Z SPOOL/CAPRICE 2013-04-12T22:06Z SPOOL/HOMEWORK 2013-04-12T23:19Z
tiglionabbit 14y ago
Would be nice if it served this page with Content-Type: text/plain, so it wouldn't look like random garbage at first.
aneth4 14y ago
I have to wonder whether _why is an intentional or unintentional PR prodigy.
fsiefken 14y ago
_why's blend of programming with collages remind me of the blend tonke dragt did with children's novels and physics or michael ende's short stories to his father's surrealist paintings or experiments with interactive fiction. a refreshing sense of adventure. crossing boundaries
ericd 14y ago
For those who don't know what all the fuss is about, you should check out _why's Poignant Guide to Ruby (http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/). It remains one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've ever had, not even just limited to programming books. It exudes so much joy and enthusiasm in its constant absurdity, it's unbelievable. The sidebars are legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. It's really hard to write humor well, but holy crap. I mean, just read this: "At my local Barnes and Noble, there is a huge wall of Java books just waiting to tip over and crush me one day. And one day it will. At the rate things are going, one day that bookcase will be tall enough to crush us all. It might even loop the world several times, crushing previous editions of the same Java books over and over again." or "What I’m Going to Do With the Massive Proceeds from this Book Anyone who’s written a book can tell you how easily an author is distracted by visions of grandeur. In my experience, I stop twice for each paragraph, and four times for each panel of a comic, just to envision the wealth and prosperity that this book will procure for my lifestyle. I fear that the writing of this book will halt altogether to make way for the armada of SUVs and luxury town cars that are blazing away in my head." (This is a completely free book) Just wonderfully absurd.
- agravier 14y ago
  I've made a Latex version of WPGtR, available here: https://github.com/agravier/wpgtr-latex https://github.com/agravier/wpgtr-latex . I think that it makes a nice printable version, but I welcome pull requests and would like to see some beautiful forks. I started working with Latex again not long ago, so I'll maybe improve it soon, too.
  - ericd 14y ago
    Oh, neat, I think I might print one of those out!
cresssandwich 14y ago
Am I alone in thinking that the obsession with this guy is a little on the creepy side?
merlish 14y ago
_why, you're a pretty funny and cool guy. You give me hope that I can be funny and cool like you one day. Also I think I saw you at a train station once, but I stared at you and by the time I decided to go to the platform and ask you if you were you you'd gone.
sfcgeorge 14y ago
The SPOOL was updated yesterday with LEVELS. I have converted it to PDF like the others. It is an amusing chart for programmers to express their feelings with. PDF of LEVELS: http://www.scribd.com/doc/136676459/LEVELS http://www.scribd.com/doc/136676459/LEVELS GitHub Repo: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com PCL Converter: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html
- sfcgeorge 14y ago
  There's more. Oh my yes. I just stuck the converted PDFs in a zip file because Scribd is a pain. Why were we using Scribd anyway? No matter, here's a zip. http://cl.ly/OOCV http://cl.ly/OOCV
sfcgeorge 14y ago
I wrote a little blog post in tribute to why, "Nobody Knows Why": http://www.sfcgeorge.co.uk/posts/2013/04/19/nobody-knows-why http://www.sfcgeorge.co.uk/posts/2013/04/19/nobody-knows-why The post also links to an updated PDF compendium of all _why's recent documents. All rotated and in the correct order (maybe). Bursting with _whyness.

391 points by feedward 14y ago

Does anyone here know the tool or technique to convert the printer format on his website to human readable format on screen? Edit: So far I've discovered I can go to http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/TRUMPETS http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/TRUMPETS for example to download a file. Trying to figure out how to read the format at the moment. Edit #2: Looks like it is PCL format. I'm trying to find a decent Mac OS X program for converting PCL to image. Edit #3: Managed to generate this: http://i.imgur.com/AL9mSLr.jpg http://i.imgur.com/AL9mSLr.jpg The quality is horrible though. I see now that some other people have already linked rendered versions in high quality, though. It was fun trying to figure it out though. :)

abbot2 14y ago
Looks much like printer escape sequences.
cremno 14y ago
GhostPCL: http://www.ghostscript.com/download/gpcldnld.html http://www.ghostscript.com/download/gpcldnld.html
srl 14y ago
It's HP-PCL. I tried using http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ps/pcl2ps http://www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ps/pcl2ps, but all I get is a rectangle with the top edge missing.
itafroma 14y ago
On OS X (Mountain Lion), I used PCL to PDF[1] and got the same output that gabrielgironda got[2]. [1]: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5540904 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5540904
- NathanKP 14y ago
  Thanks for the link. I'll try it out.

danielweber 14y ago

> Public Print Queue SPOOL/DESOLEE 2013-01-06T08:21Z SPOOL/TRUMPETS 2013-04-12T19:43Z SPOOL/SOLICIT 2013-04-12T20:10Z Amen, brother.

picklefish 14y ago

Here is the previous HN post detailing the previous printouts https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087

croddin 14y ago

The next change to his site should be on the 18th: http://www.scribd.com/doc/119155590/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/119155590/DESOLEE

c-bayprogrammer 14y ago
How apt. Ruby is from Japan. April 18th is, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_18#Holidays_and_observances http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_18#Holidays_and_observanc...) "Invention Day" in Japan.

gabrielgironda 14y ago

Here are all the PCL files rendered to PNG: http://www.gironda.org/pcl/DESOLEE.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/DESOLEE.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/TRUMPETS.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/TRUMPETS.png

jeffgreco 14y ago
Very exciting: "It's very difficult to advertise one's self from exile - am I crazy to think it can be done?"
enoptix 14y ago
the second image uses the word "exile" several times. Exile is typically associated with being cast out from one's group. The _why saga was before my time as a Rubyist but I always thought he vanished, i.e. left on his own accord. Was there an "exile" event that I am not aware of? Or does anyone know what he's talking about?
- nollidge 14y ago
  > Was there an "exile" event that I am not aware of? No. He left of his own accord. Read it as "self-imposed exile" or something.
- mtsmith85 14y ago
  It would be only conjecture, but maybe by having light shed on his actual identity, he felt his hand had been forced? Thus leading him into exile?
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- steveklabnik 14y ago
  He did delete his own accounts, yes, but that doesn't mean that he didn't _feel_ unwelcome. Also, if you take _why as being separate from the human being who played him ("Subject" is the best I've got), Subject could have imposed exile upon _why, because they're not the same person. http://words.steveklabnik.com/why-is-a-role-not-a-person http://words.steveklabnik.com/why-is-a-role-not-a-person

vorvzakone 14y ago

HN needs to get over _why. So he's a bit eccentric. This isn't news.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

asciimo 14y ago

To respond to one of the questions posed in the second print job, yes, I think he is on the right track here.

croddin 14y ago

The site is served from github. This appears to be the repo: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com

mpuckett 14y ago
https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4b65250ac454061f5863e3575735e063b118700e https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4b65250ac... Has anyone converted IDEAs to an image yet?

dccoolgai 14y ago

Based on a cursory examination of the comments, it seems like this would be a lot of fun (I'm guessing it's like a riddle or something)? Would someone care to offer a primer or background on what this is / how you start following the clues?

phillmv 14y ago
It's just _why being _why. If you're late to the party, try reading: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.single.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/...
ngcazz 14y ago
I found the correspondence between the names of the files and their contents extremely amusing.

milesf 14y ago

I've had April 18th in my calendar for weeks after the initial activity at whytheluckystiff.net. Forget the haters, Ruby's better with _why around.

michaelhoffman 14y ago
Who are "the haters?"
- tvon 14y ago
  Your standard contrarians, I guess.
- donaldguy 14y ago
  Mostly people who were understandably pissed off that along with wiping out his blogs, twitter, etc., he took down his github and abandoned his projects without helping to oversee a transition of stewardship. This included a few high-profile rubyists. And then presumably also some people who always thought his whimsy was a detriment to the ruby community (by making it seem less professional or something). (Not my opinions, just information)
  - hkmurakami 14y ago
    I'd probably include the people who were trying to figure out his real life identity.
  - michaelhoffman 14y ago
    Are there a substantial number of "haters" who have stated that Ruby is better with _why gone? It seems like a straw man.
    - milesf 14y ago
      It's not a large number of people, but rather some who hold a lot of influence and sway who've attacked _why.

netghost 14y ago

Hooray.

timinman 14y ago

Awesome. See you on the 18th!

nidrash 14y ago

i've had a big problem with the site on my Blackberry for a looooong tyme, it only started working yesterday...!:(

chasingtheflow 14y ago

How did people know/figure out that it was a PCL file?

itafroma 14y ago
PCL is a well-known format and _why (or whoever is controlling the domain) did this a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087
- chasingtheflow 14y ago
  thanks!
callahad 14y ago
$ file DESOLEE DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data
gabrielgironda 14y ago
$ file DESOLEE DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data $ whatis -s 1 file file (1) - determine file type

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

deleted 14y ago
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donaldguy 14y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.single.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/... http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/15/why-a-tale-of-a-post-modern-genius/ http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/15/why-a-tale-of-a-p... TL;DR a prolific pseudonymous rubyist who was very active in the ruby and rails community. Noted for his particularly whimsical (and/or arful) style of approaching problems and communication. Probably best known for "why's poignant guide to ruby", currently mirrored here: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.html http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.htm...

milesf 14y ago

Amazing that a guy who disappeared almost 4 years ago can make it to the top of Hacker News, more than a few times, just by an obscure change to a basically defunct website. I think it's pretty safe to say people love why the lucky stiff. He's funny, provocative, mysterious, strange, smart, creative... how could anyone _not_ want to see him back? We need more men & women in the world like _why.

hkmurakami 14y ago
As a corollary, we need more men & women in the world who love and appreciate people like _why, so that people who are like him but are less confident about showing their character in public (or even just to their immediate peers) would be more comfortable with doing so. In other words, to be more accepting and appreciate of each others' quirks and differences.
- hariis 14y ago
  It works the other way around. Be who you are first. First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
  - hkmurakami 14y ago
    That's easy for you and I to say, who are (presumably) fairly strong willed in being who we are. But what about our peers who are afraid, right now, in being themselves? Yes, seeing others shake off the naysayers as they blaze a path of genuine individualism and (positive) weirdness is encouraging, but surely this isn't a binary situation where we can only have one or the other.
    - milesf 14y ago
      What I like are safe zones, such as smaller communities within a larger. The club I run does that (http://www.fvrb.org http://www.fvrb.org). We really strive to not only be accepting, but encourage others to take risks and be willing to fail or look foolish. If someone threatens that safe zone at our club, I remove them. We simply do not tolerate people who are disrespectful to others. That doesn't mean we agree on everything (in fact we argue all the time!) but as long as things remain respectful, and apologies are publicly made when the line is crossed, our club remains healthy. Smaller communities are, IMHO, the best way to foster growth in those of us with fears about being different.

stuaxo 14y ago

Like the david bowie of creative coding which can only be a good thing.

cxhristian 14y ago

The site just updated with another file: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/e65bf73e20c61a904537c73ed99df26cab3541a6 https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/e65bf73e2... http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/CAPRICE http://whytheluckystiff.net/SPOOL/CAPRICE I don't have any pcl to image tools so I can't check what it is.

notjoeflynn 14y ago

A CAPRICE PCL that was just added: http://cl.ly/OF2O http://cl.ly/OF2O

kroo 14y ago

Here are all the files from the git repo converted to png: http://imgur.com/a/WkWtP http://imgur.com/a/WkWtP And PDF: http://cl.ly/3Y423m390Y1Z http://cl.ly/3Y423m390Y1Z Edit: added imgur album.

duiker101 14y ago

guys leave him alone... he will let everyone know if he wants any attention. If ever. And this is fine. It must be up to him. Don't push it.

Kiro 14y ago
A bit late to jump on the "leave him alone" bandwagon considering the obvious attention seeking updates to his homepage.

Bjoern 14y ago

_why, please come back.

51Cards 14y ago

New file: CAPRICE Converted to PDF from PCL here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/135653743/-why-Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135653743/-why-Caprice

alpb 14y ago

Why does nobody think that the guy posted this here (@feedward) is _why himself?

milesf 14y ago
Didn't consider that :) Maybe _why is feedward. The account has no other submissions and no comments. It was created on September 22, 2012. Does that date stick out as being significant?
- feedward 14y ago
  Honestly, I'm not _why.
  - milesf 14y ago
    I believe you :) It wouldn't be very _why-like to flat out deny it.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

virtuz 14y ago

]This is a pretty interesting trail to follow; it feels pretty personal. KIT. Peace.

wubbfindel 14y ago

New 5 minutes ago: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4bc2fbde5055e78b60e957dabfeffa387783c81f https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/commit/4bc2fbde5...

joshmcmillan 14y ago

Another new file: HOMEWORK PDF version here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework (I've rotated the PDF 180 degrees; the original PCL is upside down)

catch404 14y ago
Looks like the homework is to make an OCaml client for reading the spool files. Perhaps this is the start of a poignant guide to OCaml?

lifeformed 14y ago

Can someone provide some backstory to this? Who is _why, and why is his reappearance interesting?

milesf 14y ago
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/ruby_ruby_on_rails_and__why_the_disappearance_of_one_of_the_world_s_most_beloved_computer_programmers_.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/...
eightpersimmons 14y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
teod 14y ago
I remember reading [Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby](http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/) back when I first started out learning ruby. I'm not familiar with his other projects, but I think they mainly dealt with ruby. A few years ago he randomly deleted his entire web presence and essentially disappeared.

milesf 14y ago

Summary: Who's this guy _why? (also known as why the lucky stiff): http://bit.ly/whytheluckystiff http://bit.ly/whytheluckystiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff -- The site http://whytheluckystiff.net http://whytheluckystiff.net is being hosted on GitHub under this account: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/ https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/ -- The git repo for the site has seen activity today, and has sparked conversation: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/issues https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com/issues -- The site is serving up files in PCL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_Command_Language https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer_Command_Language -- Here are the contents of these files converted from PCL into images: http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635255/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635255/DESOLEE http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635189/Trumpets http://www.scribd.com/doc/135635189/Trumpets http://www.scribd.com/doc/135650965/Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135650965/Caprice http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework http://www.scribd.com/doc/135658986/-why-Homework

bmelton 14y ago
Any idea on what the erased bit on DESOLEE is after the end? Looks very clearly like something was written there, but I can't make it out.. something about 'three' or maybe 'there'.
- binarycrusader 14y ago
  It looks like "three re.... paper jam those ...ogh ....." to me.
- _rs 14y ago
  See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5017921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5017921 - still not sure, but might help you out
x__ 14y ago
How did you find out which github account hosted the site?

joelmichael 14y ago

_why, to respond to your questions in SOLICIT, you don't have to play the _why character if you don't want to. Most of us are happy to see you, whether you act bizarre or not. We miss your insight and commentary and sense of humor. Experiment if you like, and ignore the jerks. For everyone else, _why made some videos before, here is my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZ_htL1rOI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXZ_htL1rOI

sabat 14y ago
Hear hear! _why, if you're listening, joelmichael speaks for many/most of us: we just wish you'd come back. You don't have to be a character. We'd just like to have _you around.
davedx 14y ago
Wow, the guy was seriously funny. I remember reading the poignant guide to Ruby and finding it almost a bit much, but that video is fantastic.
canadev 14y ago
haha, i am trying to decipher whether that video has any meaning or not; regardless i found it quite enjoyable.
coolj 14y ago
"It's like I'm superman, and lexicon Luther has a big chunk of vocabulary confounding kryptonite and he's jabbing it right in my thesaural gland..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du_RTMmofWM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du_RTMmofWM

fatbat 14y ago

Just a random-lol-thought but somehow my brain floated this. Could _why = Satoshi Nakamoto?

fsiefken 14y ago
no. i think satoshi nakamoto is from the old world, while _why is from the new world. but both are from a similar generational background and from the 80s hacker culture. these mavericks geniuses are rare but exist in more subcultures (music, religion, magick, skeptics, science, cryptography)
milesf 14y ago
_why = Keyser Söze? :)

doki_pen 14y ago

If you look in the revision history there was an IDEAS file. Someone mentioned it and got downvoted, not sure why. Sorry, best I could do: http://imgur.com/VgossGD http://imgur.com/VgossGD

doki_pen 14y ago

There is also TEST, but as far as I can tell, it's pretty boring and not worth posting.

gcr 14y ago

How do we know this is really _why? I think someone could have registered the domain after it expired.

mattdeboard 14y ago
Occam's razor says so
- milesf 14y ago
  The handwriting and pictures look a lot like his. If this is someone spoofing _why, then kudos to them. They're doing a great job.
stormbrew 14y ago
Domain Name: WHYTHELUCKYSTIFF.NET Created on..............: 03-JAN-2002 Expires on..............: 03-JAN-2014 Record last updated on..: 13-DEC-2012 Status..................: ACTIVE Nope.

thomasfl 14y ago

Feelgood Ruby news of the day.

brenfrow 14y ago

Public Print Queue SPOOL/DESOLEE 2013-01-06T08:21Z SPOOL/TRUMPETS 2013-04-12T19:43Z SPOOL/SOLICIT 2013-04-12T20:10Z SPOOL/CAPRICE 2013-04-12T22:06Z SPOOL/HOMEWORK 2013-04-12T23:19Z

tiglionabbit 14y ago

Would be nice if it served this page with Content-Type: text/plain, so it wouldn't look like random garbage at first.

aneth4 14y ago

I have to wonder whether _why is an intentional or unintentional PR prodigy.

fsiefken 14y ago

_why's blend of programming with collages remind me of the blend tonke dragt did with children's novels and physics or michael ende's short stories to his father's surrealist paintings or experiments with interactive fiction. a refreshing sense of adventure. crossing boundaries

ericd 14y ago

For those who don't know what all the fuss is about, you should check out _why's Poignant Guide to Ruby (http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/ http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/). It remains one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I've ever had, not even just limited to programming books. It exudes so much joy and enthusiasm in its constant absurdity, it's unbelievable. The sidebars are legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. It's really hard to write humor well, but holy crap. I mean, just read this: "At my local Barnes and Noble, there is a huge wall of Java books just waiting to tip over and crush me one day. And one day it will. At the rate things are going, one day that bookcase will be tall enough to crush us all. It might even loop the world several times, crushing previous editions of the same Java books over and over again." or "What I’m Going to Do With the Massive Proceeds from this Book Anyone who’s written a book can tell you how easily an author is distracted by visions of grandeur. In my experience, I stop twice for each paragraph, and four times for each panel of a comic, just to envision the wealth and prosperity that this book will procure for my lifestyle. I fear that the writing of this book will halt altogether to make way for the armada of SUVs and luxury town cars that are blazing away in my head." (This is a completely free book) Just wonderfully absurd.

agravier 14y ago
I've made a Latex version of WPGtR, available here: https://github.com/agravier/wpgtr-latex https://github.com/agravier/wpgtr-latex . I think that it makes a nice printable version, but I welcome pull requests and would like to see some beautiful forks. I started working with Latex again not long ago, so I'll maybe improve it soon, too.
- ericd 14y ago
  Oh, neat, I think I might print one of those out!

cresssandwich 14y ago

Am I alone in thinking that the obsession with this guy is a little on the creepy side?

merlish 14y ago

_why, you're a pretty funny and cool guy. You give me hope that I can be funny and cool like you one day. Also I think I saw you at a train station once, but I stared at you and by the time I decided to go to the platform and ask you if you were you you'd gone.

sfcgeorge 14y ago

The SPOOL was updated yesterday with LEVELS. I have converted it to PDF like the others. It is an amusing chart for programmers to express their feelings with. PDF of LEVELS: http://www.scribd.com/doc/136676459/LEVELS http://www.scribd.com/doc/136676459/LEVELS GitHub Repo: https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com https://github.com/cwales/cwales.github.com PCL Converter: http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/pcltopdf.html

sfcgeorge 14y ago
There's more. Oh my yes. I just stuck the converted PDFs in a zip file because Scribd is a pain. Why were we using Scribd anyway? No matter, here's a zip. http://cl.ly/OOCV http://cl.ly/OOCV

sfcgeorge 14y ago

I wrote a little blog post in tribute to why, "Nobody Knows Why": http://www.sfcgeorge.co.uk/posts/2013/04/19/nobody-knows-why http://www.sfcgeorge.co.uk/posts/2013/04/19/nobody-knows-why The post also links to an updated PDF compendium of all _why's recent documents. All rotated and in the correct order (maybe). Bursting with _whyness.