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Quickies

Return of the Quickies 104

Posted by CmdrTaco from the stuff-to-read dept.
Andreas Pour sent linkage to a page where you can get the KDE mascot in T-shirt form (half the profits go to KDE). Hubert Figuiere sent us pictures from the Paris LinuxExpo if you weren't in France. Brian sent us How Stuff Works. Its actually not bad. cpfeifer wrote in to send us some spoofed book covers including Taking Down the Internet in 30mins for Dummies and IP Spoofing for Dummies. More here. An anonymous reader sent us Prozac Pez if you've been having a rough day. Dwonis sent us a point-form description of Geeks, Twits and Nerds, and the differences between them. aspodf wrote in to show us what happens when Red Meat and Star Wars come together at last. CowboyNeal sent us a link to Career Path which has a Personality Quiz that tells if you are a Jedi Master, or a Sith Lord. I think Neal ended up an Ewok *grin*.
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Return of the Quickies More

Return of the Quickies

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  • attrition.org (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    The other stuff in the gallery at attrition.org is quite cool as well. I like th "O'Reilly's Definitive Guide to Online Porn" :-).
    Or "Jesus in a Nutshell - 2nd coming".

  • Re:first post! for dummies (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    When does first posting for dummies come out?
  • This is bordering on completely off topic, but does anyone know where the Star Wars ASCII-mation page went? It was from an article posted a while back on /. but the page is now gone.

    There were over 10,000 frames so I'm guessing the guy didn't just let that go to /dev/null....
  • Ok, where the hell is R2D2??? he fixes everything, not only that, he's responsible for the whole series.
  • I could really use that prozak despenser
  • I knew I was always like him, or Obi Wan...

  • And what keystroke in lynx turns on Javascript?


    The least they could have done is warned
    people that it required javascript, so those
    of us who can't use it don't waste our time
    answering the questions (and instead can waste
    our time reading the javascript source).

  • I'd have to agree with this reversal of the characteristics of Geeks and Nerds.

    Geeks also tend to be better at solving meta-problems whereas Nerds usually just know and understand the "latest cool thing" (and twits understand the thing that they THINK is "latest and cool".

    Twits fester, Nerds solve, and Geeks adapt.

    For example, as a self-proclaimed Geek, I'd say that I understand TCP/IP fairly well -- not knowing by rote the exact encoding of all the fields in an IP frame, or the rtt estimation algorithm, but knowing damn well where to look (including the fact that TCP and IP header parsing is a job for a machine, not a person), and why rtt estimation is important, and the general filtering technique used. This carries from and to other protocols. After all, at the meta-level, an ack is an ack is an ack, and piggybacking is a common technique.

    A Nerd, OTOH, might be able to stare at hex dumps and parse out IP and TCP headers with ease. The fact that X.25 receiver readys occur at frame and packet layers might be beyond his comprehension.

    Finally, a twit would go on and on about his recent ZMODEM implementation.
  • In the Star Wars Horoscope, I was born under the sign of Luke. The Career Path quiz told me I was Luke. *sigh* Then it told my sister she was Vader. I think I'll just resign myself to being doomed. :)
    --
  • Saw a very brief article about this in Newsweek last night... I *think* it's www.asciimation.co.nz, but I've not tried it.
    --
  • Yep! I got Han Solo on the first try. Will sell my answers on E-Bay to highest bidder (if E-Bay's actually on line).
  • question: are female geeks called "Geekess" ?

    No, silly; they're called "precious".

  • A resounding "no" to all of the above. My fiance is in fact a geekess, but we're quite comfortable in the traditional gender roles. :)

  • Agreed. A geek is a nerd with social skills.

    -R
  • Chops-Frozen-Water has it right; see www.asciimation.co.nz [asciimation.co.nz].
  • Basically, I consider myself a Geek. Nerd has always seemed more the socially inept version of a geek. You know, the stereo-typical brill-creamed hair, pocket protector, nasal voise and plastic-framed glasses held together with a band-aid. The geek has the technical know-how, but the sort who has some sort dress sense, and likes to go out occasionally (and doesn't get kicked out of the parties). Watch 'Revenge of the Nerds'.

    There are also sub-species of geek and nerd.
    I am a Computer and Video geek.

    By the way - I got Obi-Wan Kenobi.
  • Well, I wish that I was Darth Vader, but at least I'm not whiny Luke. Methinks DAVEO and MEEPT! are related.
  • Use the Source, Luke! Right in the middle of the page-source, you'll find the decision tree, (j+1) will give you the number of the corresponding question.
  • True. Those definitions were reversed. I really thought this issue had been resolved with the latest edition of the hacker dictionary. Sadly enough, it would seem that many on slashdot have yet to read it. I consider it required reading.



    --

  • diff -c nerd geek (Score:4)

    by Signal 11 ( 7608 ) on Tuesday June 22, 1999 @03:28PM (#1838016)
    Simply put, this guy is wrong. The Hacker dictionary, aka the Jargon File (available on esr [tuxedo.org]'s homepage) already has definitions for all of these. And, if I may be so bold, are much better written. But as everybody is entitled to their opinion.. here's mine. :)

    Twits are the people that screw up their system and then call up the nerds at the helpdesk to fix it. The nerds play quake2 all day and sit in a lab unjamming printers and changing passwords, while the geeks are busy hammering out the next e-commerce software package in the "intro to C" class down the hall. Nerds are completely bent on *one* part of computing (be it programming, hardware, whatever). They're usually good. While geeks are more of a jack-of-all-trades. They know enough about computers in general, and can usually go in-depth on a variety of topics. Nerds have no social skills. Geeks have limited social skills. Twits.. well, we'll call them the normals-that-didn't-quite-make-the-cut-and-are-rea lly-stupid.

    Ciao.

    --
  • You're not MEEPT!! so don't even try.
  • The inevitable reference to self in the third person is MEEPT!! esque,

    however MEEPT!! is funny. And off-topic he isn't -- (s)he just puts a new spin on things.
  • Wait a minute; am I the "living Obi-Wan" or the
    post-mortem "glowing Obi-Wan"? Or am I just
    "Ben"? (That's a name I've not heard in a long
    time. ;-)
  • You're the intergalactic bounty hunter who caught Han Solo. The guy with the kick-ass helmet and about 3 lines of dialog, you get thrown into Jabba's pit in the final Jabba fight.
  • From the javascript:

    var ptypes = new Array ("Darth Vader", "C-3PO", "Han Solo", "Luke Skywalker", "Boba Fett", "Obi-Wan Kenobi", "Chewbacca", "Princess Leia");

    Looks like each question increments your rating to be one or more of the characters, and which every character get the most points is you!
  • Sorry about the formatting. Straight from the Java script.

    dv=Darth,hs=Han,lu=Luke,bf=Boba Fett,ob=Obi-wan,C3=C3PO,ch=Chewy,pr=Leia

    1 Easily adaptable to new and changing situations.
    dv,hs,lu,bf,ob,ch,pr
    2 Likes to wear a uniform.
    dv,bf
    3 Motivated in competitive situations.
    dv,hs,lu,bf,ob,ch,pr
    4 Trust your own judgement.
    dv,hs,bf,ob,ch,pr
    5 Unconcerned with a bad haircut.
    dv,hs,lu,pr
    6 Will not compromise, no matter what.
    dv,bf,pr
    7 Able to prioritize plans and execute multiple tasks.
    hs,lu,bf,ob,ch,pr
    8 Accessorize well.
    bf,ch,pr
    9 Accurately read a situation to figure out the outcome.
    bf,ob
    10 Good with guns.
    hs,lu,bf,ch,pr
    11 Have an entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to follow through on it
    hs, bf
    12 Strong technical and mechanical skills.
    hs,lu,bf,ch
    13 Often caught in overwhelming situations.
    dv,c3,lu
    14 Spend a lot of time thinking about yourself.
    dv,c3,hs,lu
    15 Accept the support of others.
    c3,lu,ob,ch,pr
    16 Complex grooming needs.
    c3,ch,pr
    17 Disdain changing environments.
    c3
    18 Listen well.
    c3,ob,ch
    19 Multi-lingual.
    c3,hs,ch
    20 Expect rewards and recognition for work.
    dv,c3,hs,bf,
    21 Generates new ideas from surrounding situations.
    dv,c3,hs,lu,bf,ob,ch,pr
    22 Consistently well-prepared, well-spoken, and/or polished.
    c3,bf,ob,pr
    23 Think the Boss in Dilbert should strangle his lackeys.
    dv
    24 Skilled at conveying information to others in a clear manner.
    c3,hs,bf,ob
    25 Like working alone.
    c3,bf
    26 Seek the respect of others.
    c3,hs,bf,ob
    27 Able to integrate a variety of tasks to work smoothly.
    dv,lu,bf,ob,ch,pr
    28 Able to market and sell services and ideas.
    dv,hs,bf,ob
    29 Believe in a way out of any situation.
    dv,hs,bf,pr
    30 Brimming with confidence.
    dv,hs,bf,pr
    31 Strong at mathematical computations.
    c3
    32 Whine readily.
    c3,lu
    33 Willing to accept blame.
    c3,lu
    34 Willing to take things easy.
    c3
    35 Able to bring others around to your way of thinking.
    dv,lu,ob,ch
    36 Handle loss poorly.
    dv,hs,ch
    37 Overly impulsive.
    dv,hs,lu,pr
    38 Politically-minded.
    dv,pr
    39 Use mental abilities to full potential.
    dv,lu,ob,pr
    40 Charitable tendencies.
    hs,lu,ob,ch,pr
    41 Stir the thoughts of others and motivate them to grow.
    ob,pr
    42 Trained to be among society's elite from an early age.
    pr
    43 Willing to accept change to accomplish goals.
    hs,lu,ob,ch,pr
    44 Work well with others.
    lu,ob,ch
  • I absolutely agree. I have even heard of the term "geeking" which is a process that occurs when two or more Geeks, who may have never before met, begin to converse about various points of technology - an intimate conversation that make little or no sense to non-geeks.

    I also got Obi-Wan.

  • Personality Quiz (Score:3)

    by JamesHenstridge ( 14875 ) <james&jamesh,id,au> on Tuesday June 22, 1999 @03:58PM (#1838024) Homepage
    What does the personality quiz say about you if you read the javascript in the page so that you know which questions to answer in order to become your favoutrite character?
  • Dave-o-rama,

    Let me provide this recommendation: if you are not going to answer those types of posts, just don't. If someone wants to flame you over the way you type or whatever, just understand why and let it go. I don't know why you encourage them, a *LOT*.

    I don't mind that you want to refer to yourself in the third person, but you should really make an effort to write properly. Spelling, grammar and capitalization might not seem important since we can still (mostly) understand what you're saying. But it would make your posts easier to read and more professional looking if you paid attention to them.

    It is not very hard to spell check and make sure you capitalize properly, even if you do have trouble with grammar. Perhaps English is not your first language or you have a learning disability which makes it difficult to form sentences. However, even if that's true, it's no excuse for sloppy spelling and lack of capitalization. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to take the extra time to do this.
  • Hear, Hear !

    I think we all agree the normal 'communication protocol' on this forum is plain English, with proper capitalisation, spelling and grammar. We do not mind the occasional typo or mistake. But keep in mind that the more unconventional your writing style is, the more it distracts from the message you're trying to get accros. So Daveo, if you want to participate in discussions in a meaningfull way, try to adapt to the language used in it. All caps, no punctuation and third person speech is only going to draw the attention away from what you are trying to say. Same goes for that signature of yours : it is still mostly in all caps, and it's in bold typeface. Which part of your message is most important do you think ? Your text or your sig ? But which part jumps out at your readers right away ? Indeed ! Now do something about it... please.
  • I'm mildly annoyed that nothing saw fit to inform me this was a javascript page. I made my selections, then stared for a second at a label [Button] that I couldn't select, and Clear, that I could.

  • daveo, use your threshold, it will allow you to ignore "First Posts" and similiar annoying content. After all, that is what it's for. I usually set mine to 1, but on occasion I like to see what all the fuss is about and will set it lower.
  • "Understanding Digital Technology" is what I learned in the first two years of EE, all reduced to about four pages of text. Go figure.

    If "How Stuff Works" and the LDP got together, it would be the world's greatest collection of Information... they could hold small countries for ransom.

    -Chris
  • Okay, so I learned how to solder, too. What do you expect from a school that's only 14th in US News? Sheesh.

    :>

    -Chris
  • Doh, I'm chewy. Doomed to live in the shadow of Han forever.

  • Try turning on Javascript.
  • Dude, me too! Then I tried answering "no" on every question and got C3PO. If only I had the inclination to try all 2^44 combinations...what other characters did people reading this get?
  • You know if it wasn't for your login "Just Some Guy" I would swear your a geekess. Though you may just be doing a bit of gender switching as is common in these days?.. hey did you by anychance ever get on efnet as Justagrl ??
  • Umm maby its just me but from all my personal experience the definition for Geek and Nerd, as well as use uses of the words, should be switched. Based upon all the correspondents I've had most people agree that the Geek is the higher form of Nerd. Though I think their definition of Twit is right on. See my Sig it explains all
  • Uh oh.. I got the Obi-Wan. Now I really feel old and somewhat dull :-P

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Thanks Slashdot. Now I am addicted to "How stuff works" I have been reading this stuff all day...Do they have a support group for this?
  • This really reminds me of a book, called 'This Perfect Day', by Ira Levin. There people are forced to wear devices like them on a bracelet.

    Imagine the possibilities of a shrunk version: they implant it at birth. Then organisations (not neccerarily the government, but that's a likely candidate), can trace wherever you go and whoever you are with. This really scares me.

    I will never betatest this baby. Never!
  • Was posted wrong. Sorry
  • "No, not the brash, young Jedi currently on screen, but Alec Guiness' wise hermit of the Classic Trilogy. You are a quietly graceful leader who people seek out. You may have fallen from grace, perhaps had power usurped by young upstarts, but the right people know you are on the mark."
  • ... came out as Ben Kenobi, myself included. Almost without exception. Late one night, I took the quiz again, and was in a bad mood. I came out as Boba Fett the second time!


    "I have no respect for a man who can only spell a word one way." - Mark Twain
  • How do you know so much about daveo?

  • YES! I couldn't agree with you more. I am NOT a nerd. No frickin way!

    Nerd == No social skills, bad odour.

    Geek == Good Social Skills, no odour.

    Twits == "I want to" (wannabe's)

    But at some point in our lives I'm sure we've all been the nerd, then the twit, and now a geek.
  • So far it looks like no one else has remembered but How Stuff Works beat out slashdot for "Cool Site of the Year" a few months ago. I took a look then, quite a collection of interesting info, almost as good as The Straight Dope [straightdope.com] but not quite.
  • Fuck. I came out as Darth Vader. I don't want
    want to fall to the dark side. I want to use
    the light side of the Source. This is troubling.

    ...but at least I get Natalie Portman?

  • netware (Score:1)

    by / ( 33804 )
    Someone forgot to take out the text about netware in the "Taking down the internet" spoof...
  • Dammit! I'm that whiny brat Luke...then again I'm complaining here, so the truth might not be far off. At least I get to save the universe and stuff.
  • see dead canadians
  • It didn't even have a working submit button.
  • Looking at the Paris photos reminds me of the scene in "Pirates of SiliValley" where Apple is at the first WCCF, put on by local curmudgeon Jim Warren. The booths lined with curtains, basic tables and chairs and some simple signs. Its also where BillyG first went to try and talk to Jobs, and was completely ignored.

    Why do I feel like linux (and OSS) is poised to be the Next Great Thing?

    I wish I could have been there.

    The AC
  • I answered yes to all of them and I got Princess Leia, and on my first try I got Han Solo.
  • Hehehe. This is cute. They're collecting results from this over at http://www.darkstaff.com/discus under Star Wars Discussion Forum: Star Wars Links Of Interest: Other: I'm C-3P0. Who are you?
  • I'm going to concur. Geek actually covers more ground too. There are many kinds of geeks, RPG geeks, Magic:TG geeks (a lowly order), wargamer geeks, computer geeks, computer gamer geeks. I think you can geek-out on about anything. I agree that geeks have some social skills, more than nerds at least. I consider myself a meta-geek. I came full circle back to geekdom only on a higher plain. It makes it very difficult to deal with plain geeks and nerds, but my appreciation of other meta-geeks is accute. cheers

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