6 ms·

> "All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection, except for the problem of too many layers of indirection." First time I've h

by jobu 12y ago

> "All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection, except for the problem of too many layers of indirection." First time I've heard that quote, but I love it. Reminds me of this one: "There are only two hard problems in Computer Science: cache invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors."

Already__Taken 12y ago
These are way better than that bloody binary joke in every computer department.
- leeoniya 12y ago
  the better version of the binary joke is Binary: as easy as 1, 10, 11
  - Someone1234 12y ago
    As easy as 3, 2, 1? I realise you read binary from right to left, not left to right, but the sentence is in English so you read that left to right. Also the commas and binary mixed together are a little odd. Least of all because you didn't make all three two binary digits (i.e. 11, 10, 01). Regardless that joke is going to cause more arguments than laughs.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - sbov 12y ago
      Base 2 is not special. You do not "read" binary from right to left. At least in English, the most significant digit is on the left, just like any other base (e.g. base 10, base 8, or base 89432890432). Also, for your leading 0, I would write: Bob has 23 apples, and I have 5. I wouldn't write: Bob has 23 apples, and I have 05. Base 2 is not special, so I wouldn't write 01. You can also turn your order argument on its head: since the order of digits in base 10 is exactly the same as base 2 (most significant on the left), you could say that "As easy as 1, 2, 3" should actually be read as "As easy as 3, 2, 1", which matches your binary reading "As easy as 3, 2, 1".
- vacri 12y ago
  The two can be melded together: There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who suffer off-by-one errors.
  - iak8god 12y ago
    I like it, but how about: There are only 10 hard problems in Computer Science: cache invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors.
  - simulacrum 12y ago
    I thought it was: There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who were expecting a base 3 joke.
    - cgtyoder 12y ago
      It really is: There are 10 kind of people in the world: Those who know binary, those who don't, and those who start counting from zero.
      - indians_pro 12y ago
        >and those who start counting from zero. That kills the joke. 'off-by-one' is subtler.
      - TeMPOraL 12y ago
        There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who know binary, those who know ternary, those who know base four, ..., and those who know that every base is base 10.
      - peapicker 12y ago
        It really is: There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who know hexadecimal, and F the rest...
Qerub 12y ago
"There are two hard problems in computer science: we only have one joke and it's not funny." (I think it's funny though.)
- philbarr 12y ago
  Plenty of other jokes abound: - What goes "Pieces of seven! Pieces of seven!" - Parity error Look up "recursion" in the dictionary and it says: See Recursion.
  - pzxc 12y ago
    Why do programmers confuse Halloween and Christmas? Because 25 DEC == 31 OCT
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  You know what's a C + iJ? A Complex Joke. You know why Complex Jokes aren't funny? Because the joke part is imaginary.
sbov 12y ago
What's the best thing about telling UDP jokes? You don't care if they get it.
- kelnos 12y ago
  Or: What's the best thing about telling UDP jokes? if don't You they get care it.
  - TheLoneWolfling 12y ago
    > if don't You they get care if. Don't forget that UDP allows repeats and drops!
    - ricree 12y ago
      and repeats.
- CPLX 12y ago
  I was going to post a reply here with an HTTP joke but I am feeling slightly insecure.
Igglyboo 12y ago
Q: How many prolog programmers does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Yes.
AceJohnny2 12y ago
I was convinced both of those quotes were from Dijkstra (as quotes go, the Mark Twain of CS). Turns out, the second one is originally from one Phil Karlton (as reported by Tim Bray [1] , that's enough authority for me), without the "off-by-one" part. The first one, which I was goddamned sure was Dijkstra, is actually by David (not A.) Wheeler (via Butler Lampson) [2], inventor of the subroutine. That rabbit-hole took me longer than expected. Hopefully I'm saving some time for someone else ;) [1] https://twitter.com/timbray/status/506146595650699264 https://twitter.com/timbray/status/506146595650699264 [2] http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/inbook/beautiful_code/html/Spi07g.html http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/inbook/beautiful_code/html/...
- daurnimator 12y ago
  My quote list has the second half as a later elaboration: "All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection" "But that usually will create another problem." -- David Wheeler "...except for the problem of too many layers of indirection." -- Kevlin Henney

by jobu 12y ago

Already__Taken 12y ago

These are way better than that bloody binary joke in every computer department.

leeoniya 12y ago
the better version of the binary joke is Binary: as easy as 1, 10, 11
- Someone1234 12y ago
  As easy as 3, 2, 1? I realise you read binary from right to left, not left to right, but the sentence is in English so you read that left to right. Also the commas and binary mixed together are a little odd. Least of all because you didn't make all three two binary digits (i.e. 11, 10, 01). Regardless that joke is going to cause more arguments than laughs.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - sbov 12y ago
    Base 2 is not special. You do not "read" binary from right to left. At least in English, the most significant digit is on the left, just like any other base (e.g. base 10, base 8, or base 89432890432). Also, for your leading 0, I would write: Bob has 23 apples, and I have 5. I wouldn't write: Bob has 23 apples, and I have 05. Base 2 is not special, so I wouldn't write 01. You can also turn your order argument on its head: since the order of digits in base 10 is exactly the same as base 2 (most significant on the left), you could say that "As easy as 1, 2, 3" should actually be read as "As easy as 3, 2, 1", which matches your binary reading "As easy as 3, 2, 1".
vacri 12y ago
The two can be melded together: There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who suffer off-by-one errors.
- iak8god 12y ago
  I like it, but how about: There are only 10 hard problems in Computer Science: cache invalidation, naming things, and off-by-one errors.
- simulacrum 12y ago
  I thought it was: There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary, those who don't, and those who were expecting a base 3 joke.
  - cgtyoder 12y ago
    It really is: There are 10 kind of people in the world: Those who know binary, those who don't, and those who start counting from zero.
    - indians_pro 12y ago
      >and those who start counting from zero. That kills the joke. 'off-by-one' is subtler.
    - TeMPOraL 12y ago
      There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who know binary, those who know ternary, those who know base four, ..., and those who know that every base is base 10.
    - peapicker 12y ago
      It really is: There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who know hexadecimal, and F the rest...

Qerub 12y ago

"There are two hard problems in computer science: we only have one joke and it's not funny." (I think it's funny though.)

philbarr 12y ago
Plenty of other jokes abound: - What goes "Pieces of seven! Pieces of seven!" - Parity error Look up "recursion" in the dictionary and it says: See Recursion.
- pzxc 12y ago
  Why do programmers confuse Halloween and Christmas? Because 25 DEC == 31 OCT
TeMPOraL 12y ago
You know what's a C + iJ? A Complex Joke. You know why Complex Jokes aren't funny? Because the joke part is imaginary.

sbov 12y ago

What's the best thing about telling UDP jokes? You don't care if they get it.

kelnos 12y ago
Or: What's the best thing about telling UDP jokes? if don't You they get care it.
- TheLoneWolfling 12y ago
  > if don't You they get care if. Don't forget that UDP allows repeats and drops!
  - ricree 12y ago
    and repeats.
CPLX 12y ago
I was going to post a reply here with an HTTP joke but I am feeling slightly insecure.

Igglyboo 12y ago

Q: How many prolog programmers does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Yes.

AceJohnny2 12y ago

I was convinced both of those quotes were from Dijkstra (as quotes go, the Mark Twain of CS). Turns out, the second one is originally from one Phil Karlton (as reported by Tim Bray [1] , that's enough authority for me), without the "off-by-one" part. The first one, which I was goddamned sure was Dijkstra, is actually by David (not A.) Wheeler (via Butler Lampson) [2], inventor of the subroutine. That rabbit-hole took me longer than expected. Hopefully I'm saving some time for someone else ;) [1] https://twitter.com/timbray/status/506146595650699264 https://twitter.com/timbray/status/506146595650699264 [2] http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/inbook/beautiful_code/html/Spi07g.html http://www.dmst.aueb.gr/dds/pubs/inbook/beautiful_code/html/...

daurnimator 12y ago
My quote list has the second half as a later elaboration: "All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection" "But that usually will create another problem." -- David Wheeler "...except for the problem of too many layers of indirection." -- Kevlin Henney