Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

What Monty Python Teaches Us About Computing

Posted by Soulskill on from the on-second-thought-let's-not-go-there dept.

Esther Schindler writes "Does the computer industry seem just a little too strange? Never fear: Monty Python encapsulated several nuggets of wisdom years ago that summarize exactly what is behind the sometimes-tawdry behavior of vendors, the open source community, and marketing departments."

11 of 102 comments (clear)

  1. When my interview for a job involved Monty Python by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When my interview for a job involved Monty Python humour I should have known it was doomed...

    It's fun to joke and reminisce great Monty Python skits and jokes, but when your supervisor's mind isn't on it should be a warning. The job lasted only two weeks - he was a complete flake, changing mind on specs and ideas almost daily and a 200% turnover before the upper management decided the problem wasn't the worker bees, but their manager. Some solace that was.

    Still love MP, but work is work and when someone wants to just joke around be wary - your probably missing something important and the jokes may be a cover-up.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. Re:OK, if you want to be normal... by Jerslan · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Who said anything about wanting to be normal?

    If you RTFA you'd see that he applies commonly known Monty Python skits to real world situations when working on a Software Project.

    This has nothing to do with "geek cred" or anything like that. It's just another way of looking at something that's been around for a while.

  3. He! Internetz!!1(eleven) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I made a MP reference! Now you HAVE to talk about my blog posting that,apart from some lame puns, is just lacking of anything worthwhile, new or insightful.

    But the title made it go to /. so it has to be good? RIGHT?

  4. It's by donotlizard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    a stretch. I'm sure TFA's author has run out of ideas. Next week he may compare computing to The Simpsons. Doh!

  5. A: Nothing by swanzilla · · Score: 4, Insightful

    However, a post containing both "Monty Python" and "Computing" very well may make the front page on ./.

    --
    0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
  6. Bible codeish by paiute · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As much as I like Monty Python, their body of work is large enough that you can find support for any idea, ideology, hypothesis, etc. buried therein. It is like the people who comb the Bible for its prediction of 9/11 events.

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  7. Re:OK, if you want to be normal... by plover · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who shit in your Cheerios this morning, pumpkin?

    I don't know, but I want that job when the guy who does it quits.

    --
    John
  8. Re:Oh by RDW · · Score: 3, Funny

    'Our weapons are Surprise, Fear, and an almost fanatical dedication to Guido van Rossum!'

  9. Re:Budgets by tomhuxley · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Interestingly, the Four Yorkshiremen was actually recycled from "At Last the 1948 Show" (also starring Graham Chapman and John Cleese): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eDaSvRO9xA

  10. Some things by p51d007 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Just never go out of style....like Blazing Saddles...the uncut version, not what they show on tv ;)

  11. Re:OK, if you want to be normal... by e9th · · Score: 3

    When forming a palindromic sentence, spacing and punctuation are normally ignored: A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!

    So, if the Bolton police were to accuse me of tossing pitch towards their town, I might ask a witness, "I did not lob tar at Bolton, did I?"