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Need a Way to Use 225m of Blue Duct Tape?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the canadian-humor dept.

pc-0x90 writes "In Canada, when engineers finish their undergraduate degree, they attend a ceremony referred to as Kipling. Alongside the formal ceremony are the kipling pranks. This year, the Software Engineers at McMaster University designed a life sized Pac-Man board, thus answering the question of whether or not software engineering is in fact engineering."

14 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Life sized? by SN74S181 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What is the scale of PacMan in real life??

  2. That's a let down by donscarletti · · Score: 5, Funny

    What I really wanted to see was the space distorters making it possible to wrap around to the other side after crossing the outer border.

    --
    When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
  3. Obligatory Quote by mikeophile · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Computer games don't affect kids, I mean if Pac Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music."

    1. Re:Obligatory Quote by meowsqueak · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's common courtesy to acknowledge the source of a quote, rather than try and pass it off as your own - in this case Kristian Wilson, Nintendo, Inc, 1989.

      The main point about this quote is that it was made some time before the 'raves' of the 1990's became popular, and in hindsight is therefore interesting and somewhat amusing. Although I suspect Wilson realised the irony at the time.

  4. I shall remain skeptical... by more+fool+you · · Score: 5, Funny

    until they figure out how to make pacman appear on the left hand side of the maze after disappearing from the right hand side.

  5. Wait a minute... by Chewster · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's only 3 ghosts!! Kids today... they don't pay attention to details.

    --
    ---- Meh.
  6. Typical Canadian prank... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Note that they asked the security guard for permission... and they likely cleaned up after themselves too... sheesh...

  7. 20 or so people? by king_penguin_05 · · Score: 5, Funny

    They know exactly how much tape they used, but they don't know how many people were there making it.

    --
    "I can't drive 55. It only goes 38."
  8. What's the connection? by Chris+Z.+Wintrowski · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "...This year, the Software Engineers at McMaster University designed a life sized Pac-Man board, thus answering the question of whether or not software engineering is in fact engineering."


    I fail to see how the design of a massive Pac-Man board is, in any way, related to the *art* of designing good software.

    --
    - Chris Z. Wintrowski -
    [ Site ]
  9. The webpage got slashdotted by termos · · Score: 5, Informative

    Since the original webpage got slashdottet I set up a "mirror", it's on a 100mbps connection. (not much when we have a slashdot effect in the picture)
    http://skall.no/~termos/pacman/

    --
    Note to self: get smarter troll to guard door.
  10. if only I had known by Keebler71 · · Score: 5, Funny

    If only I had know that to be respected by Slashdot as an "engineer" all I needed was some some tape! Would have saved me a lot of time and effort.

    --
    "It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
  11. Re:Kipling? by legolas · · Score: 5, Informative

    I believe it's called the Iron Ring ceremony everywhere. Shorely someone is confused, as Rudyard Kipling was the author of the ceremony.

    Also, this Computer and Software Engineering seems to be part of McMaster's engineering department, as opposed to a misnamed Computer Science degree.

    -legolas

  12. First-hand experience. by michaeli · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Woooh!!! Ok, gotta get over my excitement -- it's not everyday that I find an article relating to something that took place in a building no more than 300m away from my bedroom. I go to McMaster and have actually walked on said Pac-Man board.

    Generally the Kipling pranks here at Mac are rather well-done (cars are a common theme -- putting them on roofs, hanging them on sides of buildings, etc.) but this year things were slightly lackluster, if you will. I may have just not been out before some got taken down, who knows. That said, the Pac-Man board is still around (I've been in my room for a few days, so I don't know for sure) and still looks impressive.

    There was a comment questioning the "life-sizedness" of the board, and being 6'1", 200lbs. I can say I fit most comfortably in the maze. The dots may have been slightly insubstantial for consumption (they were only the labels off beer, not the actual product itself... damn Engineers probably drank it all before hand, come to think of it) and the aliens/ghosts (please, no flames from those who know Pac-Man far better than I and who think I'm an idiot for not knowing at the very least what those things are called) weren't so large as to be intimidating. Other than that the "life-sized" label fits very well (they didn't just follow the pattern of the floor tiles, as this post suggested -- it's all measured out on their own scale).

    I'm going to have to run over to the Computer department after I finish studying for this exam and observe the smoulding hulk of server that I'm sure now exists :). Wheee, what a fun day already, and all because of slashdot!

    Adam, I don't know if you read slashdot, but my compliments on the good work. That and nice pics.

    --


    "this is a really good piece of cantoloupe."
  13. Not to diss them but... by yuvtob · · Score: 5, Funny

    This McMaster University sounds like a cheap-deep-fried-fast degree-granting institution.
    "Would you like a McMaster or a McBSc with that ?

    Don't read this sig