Random Question of the Day
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This topic is not just for questions - answers to the questions are welcome as well. Probably not the place for questions that deserve their own topic.
First question: Would you recommend to your manager that (s)he read TDWTF?
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@jinpa I've actually used a front-page article to demonstrate to my manager why a certain thing in our codebase is bad and should be changed.
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@jinpa I've mentioned it to her. She started as a dev, so she's one of us at heart.
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@dcon said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa I've mentioned it to her. She started as a dev, so she's one of us at heart.
How long has it been? When a manager has been a manager for longer than she was a dev, then it's mostly irrelevant.
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So the difference between this topic and Help Bites is that this topic is not specific to practical software development questions, is that it?
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@Zecc said in Random Question of the Day:
So the difference between this topic and Help Bites is that this topic is not specific to practical software development questions, is that it?
And it's not the What is the Question topic.
And, you're much less likely to get an answer (well, compared to normal).
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@Tsaukpaetra
And it's not required to only conversate in questions, is it?
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How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Bonus question I can't be bothered to Google: what is a woodchuck? Some kind of bird?
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@Jaloopa said in Random Question of the Day:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Bonus question I can't be bothered to Google: what is a woodchuck? Some kind of bird?
A rodent.
How many Lowe's would Rob Lowe rob if Rob Lowe could rob Lowe's?
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@da-Doctah said in Random Question of the Day:
How many Lowe's would Rob Lowe rob if Rob Lowe could rob Lowe's?
As many Lowe's as Rob Lowe could rob, Rob Lowe would rob if Rob Lowe would rob Lowe's.
Duh.
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@Jaloopa
The Usenet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. Your question was:How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
And in response, thus spake the Oracle:
} ***ZOT!!!***
Many years ago â ancient history, as the internet measures time â long before Tim Berners-Lee foisted the Web on an unsuspecting world, there was Usenet. And in a somewhat dingy corner of Usenet lived an entity known as the Usenet Oracle.Humble supplicants would come to the great Oracle (not to be confused with that other Oracle, whose cult of hatred is ) to ask questions and receive answers.
The w--dc---k question was asked of the Oracle. It was asked again. And again. It was asked so often, by so many supplicants (not all of them humble), that any repetition of the question â indeed, the mere mention of a w--dc---k â was invariably met with the ultimate punishment, a ZOT!, akin to being struck by Zeus with a lightning bolt. The only uncertainty was how much humor, if any, the Oracle would wrap around the ZOT! before delivering it. (Other actions with a high probability of receiving a ZOT were asking the null question and failure to grovel sufficiently before asking your question.)
For more information on the Usenet Oracle, see https://internetoracle.org or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Oracle.
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@HardwareGeek said in Random Question of the Day:
asking the null question
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@Mason_Wheeler Undefined
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@Mason_Wheeler said in Random Question of the Day:
@HardwareGeek said in Random Question of the Day:
asking the null question
The Oracle is a mail-based program. I imagine that a null question is asked by sending a mail to the Oracle without including a body.
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@Jaloopa said in Random Question of the Day:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Bonus question I can't be bothered to Google: what is a woodchuck? Some kind of bird?
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Mason_Wheeler said in Random Question of the Day:
@HardwareGeek said in Random Question of the Day:
asking the null question
The Oracle is a mail-based program. I imagine that a null question is asked by sending a mail to the Oracle without including a body.
Or anything that doesn't include an actual question, which is usually an empty body (except maybe for a signature, which the Oracle software will ignore â if it's properly formatted, which nobody does anymore).
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đ how do you rescind a blown kiss?
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@Tsaukpaetra said in Random Question of the Day:
đ how do you rescind a blown kiss?
Depends on the sort of blowing going on, but generally I figure you don't.
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@Tsaukpaetra said in Random Question of the Day:
đ how do you rescind a blown kiss?
Mimic reeling back a fishing line? Might be ambiguous though.
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Are Latinos a race, or just an ethnic group?
Are Hispanics a race or just an ethnic group?
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@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
I see the problem now. No, there is no such requirement. From the initial post in this thread, "This topic is not just for questions - answers to the questions are welcome as well. "
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa is "yes" an acceptable answer to that question?
No.
ERR_QUESTION_NOT_FOUND
There appears to be an error in the findQuestion() method.
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
I see the problem now. No, there is no such requirement. From the initial post in this thread, "This topic is not just for questions - answers to the questions are welcome as well. "
Ah. Then the answer to your initial question is complicated. Technically, "hispanic" is an ethnicity in the US. That's not a race--you can be caucasian hispanic or black hispanic or...
but in practical terms, it's used like a race. and it's definition is squiffy. It depends on which things you're using it for.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
but in practical terms, it's used like a race. and it's definition is squiffy. It depends on which things you're using it for.
squif¡fy
/ËskwifÄ/
adjective
INFORMALâ˘BRITISH
slightly drunk.Yes, I think that fits here. Any Brits want to weigh in?
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
but in practical terms, it's used like a race. and it's definition is squiffy. It depends on which things you're using it for.
squif¡fy
/ËskwifÄ/
adjective
INFORMALâ˘BRITISH
slightly drunk.Yes, I think that fits here. Any Brits want to weigh in?
I'm not sure where I picked it up from, but I've always used it to mean a cross between "squishy" (ie not fixed) and "iffy" (uncertain). But mainly it's just a fun word to say. Squiffy. Squiffy.
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Iâm told that all modern humans are of the subspecies H. s. sapiens, which means thereâs only one extant human race. But looking into it, apparently that taxon doesnât have much/any formal recognition?
As with anything that incites internet debate, youâll need to properly define your terms (in this case, âraceâ and âethnic groupâ) before any attempt at a definitive answer can be made, at which it should be trivial.
Regardless, I donât think the division of race applies at all practically to humans. Theyâre so âmigratory,â so to speak, that any such subtaxa have been effectively dissolved. So I guess that makes both your examples ethnic groups.
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@kazitor Traditionally, the word "race" applied to groups that had been pretty much separated for at least 10,000 years prior to Columbus and had a fair degree of genetic uniqueness. So this left a small number of generally accepted "races". Though the distinction was never absolute, it was generally accurate within a certain degree of approximation. These groups were Black/Negroid, comprised of people whose ancestors had never left Sub-Saharan Africa; East Asian/Mongoloid; White/Caucasoid. American Indians (now called Native Americans) were informally considered a race, but more scientifically they were considered to be Mongoloid. Australian Aborigines weren't talked about too much when I was a child, but they clearly deserve to be considered their own race, because they had been separate from the rest of humanity for a very long time. There are one or two others that could reasonably be considered their own race, such as the Polynesians and their close relatives.
What was definitely not considered a race was any group that had formed since Columbus. So Hispanic was not considered a race, since Hispanic people could be from one or more other races - White, Indian (Native American), and/or Black. Desi Arnaz would have looked at someone like they were nuts if they said he wasn't White because his family spoke Spanish.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
Are Latinos a race, or just an ethnic group?
Are Hispanics a race or just an ethnic group?
Racey ethnic group!
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Random Question of the Day:
Wasn't there supposed to be a question in every post here? Or am I thinking of the wrong thread?
Were you looking for the question thread? https://what.thedailywtf.com/topic/12940/the-question-is-what-is-the-question
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Does Twitter take extra measures to keep the POTUS's account secure? Does the Secret Service?
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@jinpa
Is there a penalty for two questions on the same day?
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@izzion said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa
Is there a penalty for two questions on the same day?I'm not sure. I haven't asked one for two days.Should there be? I would have thought that if they were in the same post and went together they should be allowed, but if you think that's unethical, I'd be willing to concede.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
Does Twitter take extra measures to keep the POTUS's account secure? Does the Secret Service?
Something something other side of the secure hatchway something.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
squif¡fy
/ËskwifÄ/
adjective
INFORMALâ˘BRITISH
slightly drunk.Yes, I think that fits here. Any Brits want to weigh in?
That is the correct definition of âsquiffyâ.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
Does Twitter take extra measures to keep the POTUS's account secure? Does the Secret Service?
What's the worst that could happen?
That he says something dumb? Covfefe?
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@topspin said in Random Question of the Day:
@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
Does Twitter take extra measures to keep the POTUS's account secure? Does the Secret Service?
What's the worst that could happen?
That he says something dumb? Covfefe?Galaxy-brain play: His account was hacked forever ago. Just that the shit the hackers post are completely indistinguishable from his normal behaviour.
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I would imagine that the lock-down is harder on younger people than on older ones. Does anyone have any opinion or information on whether that is the case?
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@jinpa I think it depends.
Older people who need daily care tend to move to a retirement home here, and they usually go for a stroll through the hallway or outside, or go to some gatherings to discuss the news or play some card games. Nearly all of it is forbidden now due to Covid-19.
Meanwhile young kids are adaptable, while it might be troublesome to get toddlers to understand what's happening they might also be distracted from the situation by just about anything.
Teenagers on the other hand might want to visit friends to talk about their experiences and have some "free space" away from their parents, but just some space to self-isolate and still be in contact with friends by phone or social media might be a substitute.
However, going back to the elderly: they have none of that. They tend to live by routines, and those are now all ruined because people can't visit or they might even be restricted from leaving their room. They also are less likely to understand all these novel technology so they might feel far more isolated then than anyone else.
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
I would imagine that the lock-down is harder on younger people than on older ones. Does anyone have any opinion or information on whether that is the case?
Listening to this mini breakdown from my step-sister in the other room..... maybe?
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Do you, and how often, quietly do things that are the correct thing to do that you don't explain to your manager because (s)he would misunderstand?
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@jinpa A lot. It's not necessarily the correct thing. In fact, it's usually the wrong thing; I've said elsewhere I'm not very good at this coding thing. But it at least it's not nicht einmal falsch...
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@jinpa for me, it's usually some other software team that's misunderstanding, not my manager. And when you need another team's cooperation, there's just no way to do it quietly. But I totally would if I could.
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Who was the greatest scientist of all time?
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@jinpa said in Random Question of the Day:
Who was the greatest scientist of all time?
Phineas J Whoopie.
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Watching someone work a lathe is oddly mesmerizing. I have no such skills (or even coordination), but watching an expert (seemingly) effortlessly touch the wood (or metal) and shape it into all sorts of shapes is kinda cool.
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Do animals understand that dreams are just dreams? Or if say one cat dreams that the other cat bit his tail, does he then hold a grudge against the other cat for something that never happened in real life?