Jacob Feb 17
Matt Weagle

There are two problems in computer science:

1. We could do this better
2. We should not do this at all

Feb 4 at 5:38pmWeb
Show threadJeff AtwoodFeb 5
@mweagle off by one error. https://infosec.exchange/@codinghorror/114067216270215992
Show threadMatt WeagleFeb 5
@codinghorror “I could code that in a weekend. How hard could it be?”
Show threadsynlogic4242Feb 6
@codinghorror @mweagle technically thats 4 things
Show threadJeff AtwoodFeb 6
@synlogic4242 @mweagle well, actually, you're right https://tirania.org/blog/archive/2011/Feb-17.html
Well, Actually - Miguel de Icaza

Miguel de Icaza's Blog

Show threadDr. Christopher KunzFeb 5
@mweagle And there's one problem in computer security:
1. How do we save the private keys for this?
Show threadEndyFeb 6
@mweagle @christopherkunz The answer is, in a text file. The rest is minutiae.
Show threadJonathan HarkerFeb 5
@mweagle and 3. out-by-one errors
Show threadAndrocatFeb 5
@mweagle
Sometimes combined : "Our torment nexus is too slow. Let's optimize it to fuck people up much faster"
Show threadReinald KirchnerFeb 5
@mweagle and off by one problems. And how to name things.
Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyFeb 5

@mweagle

“Every program could be made at least slightly shorter, and every program has at least one bug. By induction, we can assume that every program can be reduced to a single instruction that doesn’t work.”

Show threadmothcomputeFeb 7
@rk @mweagle ive made a program or two with effectively zero instructions that didnt work...
Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyFeb 7

@mothcompute @mweagle

Mid 90’s commercial UNIX `true` often had zero instructions and *did* work.

Show threadjn (big endian energy)Feb 7
@rk @mothcompute @mweagle they removed every faulty instruction
Show threadBite Code!Feb 5

@mweagle I'd add:

- We actually should do this.
- What's this?
- Who are you? And what are you doing in my office?

Show threadRaymond RussellFeb 5

@mweagle
The two problems in computer science are:

1) Ones
2) Zeros

Show threadChris MartinFeb 6
@mweagle There are only two things a computer can do: Reshape data, and discard data
Show threadSoftwarewolfFeb 6
@mweagle
3. Off-by-one errors
Show threadTerry GodierFeb 6
@mweagle @kfdm and what to name a variable
Show threadFish Id Wardrobe ⁂Feb 6
@mweagle
3. the problem that (1) and (2) are not mutually exclusive. "if we did this better, we could not _quite_ do this…"
Show threadOwl EyesFeb 6
@mweagle there are 2 problems in Computer Science:
1) dogbert
2) catbert
Show threadオチュー (stop colonialism 🇵🇸)Feb 6
@mweagle works for the whole capitalism thing too, I guess (currently "modern computing" being the tip of that iceberg)
Show threadFlohGroFeb 6
@mweagle cache invalidation & naming things
Show threadsynlogic4242Feb 6
@mweagle AI in a nutshell
Show threadEndyFeb 6
@mweagle LLMs are both of those things.
Show threadСаша Морс, here we go again...Feb 6
@mweagle 100%
Show threadPeter HFeb 6

@mweagle In IT, the sky used to be the limit.

Then we invented clouds.

Show threadMatt MayFeb 7
@mweagle I worked a lot on 1) and was largely tolerated in the workplace for many years. Once I started working on 2), it was decided that I wasn't a good culture fit.
Show threadMatt WeagleFeb 7
@mattmay "Not a good culture fit" does so much improper heavy lifting.
Show threadMatthias Feb 7
@mweagle 3. Look what I’ve made
Show threadKorallenherzFeb 7

@mweagle in germany we have something called "Mettigel". O.o

#scnr

Show threaddemofoxFeb 7
@mweagle and off by 1 errors!