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Oracle V. Google Being Decided By Clueless Judge and Jury (vice.com)

theodp writes: The problem with Oracle v. Google," explains Motherboard's Sarah Jeong, "is that everyone actually affected by the case knows what an API is, but the whole affair is being decided by people who don't, from the normals in the jury box to the normals at the Supreme Court." Which has Google's witnesses "really, really worried that the jury does not understand nerd shit." Jeong writes, "Eric Schmidt sought to describe APIs and languages using power plugs as an analogy. Jonathan Schwartz tried his hand at explaining with 'breakfast menus,' only to have Judge William Alsup respond witheringly, 'I don't know what the witness just said. The thing about the breakfast menu makes no sense.'

"Schwartz's second attempt at the breakfast menu analogy went much better, as he explained that although two different restaurants could have hamburgers on the menu, the actual hamburgers themselves were different -- the terms on the menu were an API, and the hamburgers were implementations." And Schwarz's explanation that the acronym GNU stands for 'GNU is Not Unix' drew the following exchange: "The G part stands for GNU?" Alsup asked in disbelief. "Yes," said Schwartz on the stand. "That doesn't make any sense," said the 71-year-old Clinton appointee.

7 of 436 comments (clear)

  1. "The G part stands for GNU?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please let them bring up PHP for some reason...

    1. Re:"The G part stands for GNU?" by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Funny

      They're like engineering jokes: "What do you get when you cross an elephant and a grape?

      What do you get when you cross a tsetse fly with a mountain climber?

      Nothing. You can't cross a vector with a scaler.

    2. Re:"The G part stands for GNU?" by flargleblarg · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yes, but are there really 12 programmers who don't all hate Oracle?

  2. "That doesn't make any sense," said the 71yo judge by Snufu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Unless the gnu lives on Endor.

  3. Re:HS diploma who failed geometry by Ferocitus · · Score: 5, Funny

    An analogy involved food/restaurants (which they DO understand) may be your only hope, since sex and excretory functions are off the table in terms of polite conversation.

    How can you explain Microsoft's Win 10's strategy without referring to a shit sandwich?

    --
    USB, USB, USB!
  4. Re:HS diploma who failed geometry by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 4, Funny

    How can you explain Microsoft's Win 10's strategy without referring to a shit sandwich?

    It's not difficult, here's an example:

    Imagine it's Valentine's day, and you go to the store to get your bonnie lass a box of chocolates. You have them gift-wrap it, and you go to the fancy restaurant where you have dinner reservations. The evening goes beautifully. You take her home, and she gives you a very exciting come-hither loop. You sweep her off her feet, and carry her to the bedroom. After some passionate kissing, you gently start to lift her blouse, and there's a shit sandwich.

    Sorry, my mistake. It can't be done.

  5. Re: API by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    But what if the judge can't be bribed?