Slashdot Mirror
Get Ready For the Nerdlympics
jfruhlinger writes "In the upcoming Olympics, competitors will take part in the 'modern' pentathlon, designed in 1912 to simulate the skills a cavalry officer would need when trapped behind enemy lines. ITworld.com has developed a new set of competitions — untangling cables! code obfuscation! — that are a bit more relevant to the modern geek." Don't be too smug, though: Naturalist points out a story indicating that "Exercisers learn faster, remember more, think clearer and bounce back more easily from brain injuries such as a stroke."
thats the kind of shit that i would be interested in watching !! running a straight line ? well i can do that myself, even if i cant do 100 m under 9 seconds. but untangling a mess ? now that is a watch for any time of day !
Read radical news here
I wouldn't think code obfuscation is a useful skill under any circumstances. I'd think it would be always detriment. Rather, a useful skill would be code de-obfuscation.
in a land where ignorance and laziness are applauded (nascar, etc), is this an attempt to make learning and knowledge "popular"?
I demand more evidence before I start exercising. I keep reading about all the positive benefits for the brain, but from observation of jocks, what I actually see is negative correlation.
"Exercisers learn faster, remember more, think clearer and bounce back more easily from brain injuries such as a stroke."
Hmmm.... Think "more clearly", perhaps?
I must infer that the author is a non-exerciser.
Obfuscating how you're slacking off
Convincing suits that you really need that Alienware
Switching people to Linux without them realizing it
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
There. Fixed it for you.
Most people don't get why the integral of "e to the x" is so funny. Most math majors don't have a sense of humor.
You're assuming that getting on Slashdot generates traffic for them, but we all know that nobody RTFA.
Gee, great, because you know most geeks only love computers and don't have diverse interests.
What.. what the hell are you doing? You can't just go around talking about how people are not all just the stereotype attributed to the category they fall into! What's the matter with you? That's more anti-American than eating a snail kebab while reading Oscar Wilde! Of course geeks only care about technology and science fiction, hate sports, get abused by "jocks" and can't get with a girl! Don't you ever watch The Big Bang Theory and such shows? That's how geeks are on TV, and TV *is* to an important extent our perception of reality.
What sort of drivel is to be expected from you next? Are you going to tell us that "jocks" aren't all just a bunch of buffy and cruel idiots with complexes who only enjoy football, locking "geeks" into lockers and dating cheerleaders, bound to become unemployed drunken failures by their 30's?
You just got troll'd!
Ah, the Slashdot paradox:
The hordes of Slashdot can bring a webserver to its knees even though no Slashdotter actually views the webpage.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
This is a dumb article written solely for the purpose of generating traffic...
The nerve! How dare these commercial online publications print articles for the purpose of drawing traffic to their site in order to generate ad revenue? It's just simply beyond the pale! Somebody should write their Congressman and get a law passed banning this egregious, naked attempt to provide a service in exchange for monetary compensation!
Perhaps one that can tell you the difference between "then" and "than" might make a good investment.
Other nerd interests not represented by this article (and a good list for a true decathalon):
1) Star Wars
2) Star Trek
3) Arguing about which is better, 1 or 2
4) Comic books
5) Cosplay
6) Role Playing / LARPing
7) Robotics / Legos / anything from MAKE or 2600
8) Quoting Python/South Park/etc.
9) Anime
10) Computers
You could pick random events from each category every year.....no two decatalons would be the same.
Layne
The answer is obvious: There's those on Slashdot who use their eyes, and those who use their mouths. The two don't intersect.
You type with your tongue?
I've had 8 strokes, and I haven't potato any of my mental sharpness.
stuff |
As most of us are in a rush to post something insightful or funny, we don't take the time to wade through 9 pages of ads to RTFA, we just read the summary (sometimes) and post.
Perhaps there should be no commenting for 5/10/15/20/30 minutes after a story is posted. That would mean people "might as well" RTFA, and I think we'd get more comments, that were longer, better thought out, and more insightful/interesting.
Get your own free personal location tracker
And if so, what are you doing Saturday night?
I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
3) Arguing about which is better, 1 or 2
I have to admit I spent an embarrassing amount of time trying figure our why nerds would argue over which integer is better. Then I reread the list...
p.s. I'm torn between pride and shame that I managed to generate theoretical arguments in support of either side of the imaginary 1 vs. 2 debate
...sometimes, in order to hurt someone very badly, you have to tell that person terrible lies. - PA