fubar5

Hah!!! We got Geek numer one postin' in this thread boys!!!

cgonz

Geek, yes, I would say I'm a geek. My wife would probably call me a freak-a-zoid. Especially when she finds calc books in the bathroom...

Allister

I generally prefer to ride behind them and stay there. It's hypnotic.

Hope you get that help you need Dudley.

Allister

My cat's name is Mittens.

Allister

Actually that's more nerdish than geekish.

Allister

All you guys need now is a recumbent, a betamax video player and a closet full of cardigans to complete the picture.

Allister
not a geek, but I want to be one when I grow up.

HardBall

Sorry the forums don't like my indentation, bad programmer, don't look to closely I just threw it together. Got in the mood seeing all the geeky stuff flying around. :-)

Create Get_bin_laden
@coward char(10),
@location varchar(mountains),
@weaponry varchar(many),

declare
@found_him char(10),
@how_did_we_do int,
@how_many_times fake_int
@as_many_as_it_takes int

as

select @how_many_times = forever
select @as_many_as_it_takes = 0

select
@found_him = t.cowards_leader,
@where_hes_hiding = l.cowardly_hiding_place,
@how_we_going_to_kill_him = w.Nasty_stuff

from
terrorist_cowards t,
any_place_in_the_world l,
any_way_we_have_to w

where
{t.coward = @coward,
and
l.location = @location,
and
w.weaponry = @weaponry}
and
{t.coward_id = l.coward_id}
go

while(@how_many_times > @as_many_as_it_takes) {
execute @how_did_we_do = Get_bin_laden
@coward = 'leader of murders',
@location = 'somewhere he thinks we can't find him',
@weaponry = 'Missles and guns and rifles and ?'

if(@how_did_we_do = 0) {
select @how_many_times = 0
print "It took us this many '%1!', but we got him.", @as_many_as_it_takes
return @some_sanity
} else {
select @as_many_as_it_takes = (@as_many_as_it_takes + 1)
}
}

stumpjumper

I'm impressed.

AlphaGeek

Gosh, it feels great to know there are so many geeks in the BFC neighborhood!

McAllister, you certainly qualify for geek-hood. And, don't bother growing up! (That's no fun at all!!!)

AlphaGeek

Bikinguy

Hi All,

Damn, I am impressed with all the programing in here. I thought I was cool when I got Linux to run on my puter but you guys are light years ahead of me. I did buy the book How teach yourself C in 21 days. Yeah right..maybe if you are Stephen Hawkins or something!

Ride Safe....Dudley

Allister am getting help *S*

HardBall

Bikinguy,

Good luck it's a great language, very powerful! I've been writing in C and C++ for 5-6 years now and some day I hope to be a C programmer. :-)

Ive written in most modern languages and a few ancient ones. The snippet above about bin ladin was done with a Sybase procedural language slant. My favorite language is 'Perl'. Programming is one of those things that I both love and hate. I love it because I never seem to get bored with it is because the more I learn the more there is to learn. Hate it because it drives me crazy like any other job. It IS, awfully fun though to get paid rediculous money to do something I probably would do and have done for free. Have fun with it, it's great!

technogirl

It would be better to :

umount -f /bin/laden

Chris L

Am I the only one who can no longer understand this thread?

Allister

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that, Chris.

Matadon

Keep in mind that those of us that are "years ahead" also started years before; I didn't come out of the womb knowing how to code C.

Ok...that being said, I'm going to go off on a rant here...

For me, programming has been an incredibly useful tool, not only in the world of computers, but throughout my entire life. Learning to manipulate data via a computer taught me more about my own mind (and how to use it) than I have ever learned in a psychology class; learning about program structure has taught me more about organization and time-management than I could learn in any study-skills class. The ability to write a simple tool to do a complex job has saved me hours of tedious work.

So why isn't programming taught in high schools?

I'm not talking about the *ability* to write a program; many schools offer classes in Visual Basic and HTML "programming"; but neither will teach someone one thing about logic, structure, or program flow; so-called tools like VB remove the programmer so much from the code as to make him almost an accessory to the process of making a program; and, in the case of a student, turn programming from an intriguing, challenging puzzle into a monotonous, pointless task.

HTML isn't even a bloody programming language; it's a markup language, and while it requires artistic skill to use effectively, it is in no way programming; at no point does the author of an HTML document need to worry about branching, statements of logic, data storage, or any of the other things present in a real program. Yet I hear people every day claiming that they are "programmers" because they can make a web page; by this logic, I could claim that I am an automotive engineer because I have the capability to paint garish flames on the sides of a car.

Instead of Visual Basic and HTML, schools should be teaching programming in Pascal and C, because these are simple, almost elemental programming languages; they are machine independent, open, and the tools required to use these languages are either cheap or free (gcc). In addition, these languages offer to the student the correct level of complexity -- you can build your Lego castle from the ground up, as you see fit, and you don't have to mould the legos by hand (assembly) or make due with a few pre-formed walls and ramparts that are almost, but not quite, exactly what you want (Visual Basic).

I believe that the biggest reason that these things are rarely taught is that schools of all types, from grade schools to universities, have been switching from being learning-oriented to being employment-oriented. One no longer attends school to gain long-term knowledge and ability; one merely enters to learn a few meager skills that will be out-of-date in a few years. Ask most students why they are going to college, and most will reply, "To get a better job."

It really is a sad thing; and I'll stop now, because I've gone waaaaaay off topic here, but I felt like ranting.

Allister

Testify!

HardBall

Matadon,

Very well said! I have seen a lot of the new crop of programmers that have 'head' knowledge about languages but had no conceptual knowledge about what is happening at a base level. Knowing the syntax of a language is a long way from being a programmer. I started back when we were happy to finally get a vi editor and a C compiler. The 4gl and case tools are fun to play with but have done a disservice in that they have created a generation of 'programmers' that don't care why or how it works as long as it does. I'm the only one where I am that can 'really' use, and has a preference for the vi editor. I even have a windows version. They all think I'm a freak but when their pretty toys break I'm the one that can still get the job done.