Get Ready For the Nerdlympics 174
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."
Now thats the shit (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Now thats the shit (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't know if you're trying to be funny or not.
How does anybody verify that 2 messes are equally messy? What if 1 mess is stiffer and harder to untangle, even though it's not as confusing? I think that we've all seen knots that were really tight, but simply knotted.
If this is all just for fun, then it's no big deal.
Re:Now thats the shit (Score:5, Funny)
Simple. Make the messes using identical cables, following the exact same steps. Since it's geeklympics, how about building a robot to uniformly tangle cables? Every mess of cable can be exactly the same (well, to the degree of the manufacturing tolerances of the cables). Program a new mess algorithm for each of the heats, and for the finals.
I'm not sure what olypmics you're watching, but I like the way you think.
hah ! you think thats a problem ? (Score:2)
*But* you still have the problem of getting the guys to sign up. Usually sign-up forms are embedded in articles, aren't they?
just find 1-2 hot geek girls and announce their participation beforehand. you'll get hordes of longhairs signing up that you wont know what to do with them all.
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How does anybody verify that 2 messes are equally messy?
Your credentials have been established.
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> even if i cant do 100 m under 9 seconds.
Nobody can.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_metres#Fastest_100_metres_runners [wikipedia.org]
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Yet ;)
and (Score:2)
Anyone can (Score:2)
Just not on foot ...
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Code obfuscation? (Score:4, Insightful)
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.
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Perl programmers would have an unfair edge ;)
Disagree. I'd stack a pure K&R C code single-line macro up against the best from CPAN any day.
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Yeah, kids these days have no idea what real C code looks like. C code that looks like C is not industrial-grade C. To know what real, portable, robust production C looks like, copy some textbook C code into a text editor, add a few randomly chosen non-C keywords in front of every struct and function declaration, and then upcase everything except the function names where they are defined and all the variable names. Now imagine everything in uppercase is a macro whose default value is declared in a bunch
Insultolympics (Score:3, Insightful)
Gee, great, because you know most geeks only love computers and don't have diverse interests.
This is a dumb article written solely for the purpose of generating traffic, and by getting on /. they've succeeded in spades.
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
The hordes of Slashdot can bring a webserver to its knees even though no Slashdotter actually views the webpage.
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I don't read the articles. I just click the links.
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Re:Insultolympics (Score:4, Insightful)
There are two types of Slashdotter: Those who read the article, and those who comment on the story. These groups do not overlap.
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There are two types of Slashdotter: Those who read the article, and those who comment on the story. These groups do not overlap.
The problem is self-perpetuating.
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. While TFA can be informative and sometimes worthwhile to read, most of us want to get our posts in early or high on the page so they will be read and responded to. Its a fo
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
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As for longer comments... well... in general, they leave a bad taste in my mouth. Usually whatever takes 10,000 characters to say can be said just as well in 1000. If I wanted to read a long informative essay, there are better places than slashdot comments, and I prefer it that way. YMMV
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Perhaps there should be no commenting for 5/10/15/20/30 minutes after a story is posted.
As a subscriber I get pretty much exactly that.
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.
Nope - it doesn't make any difference to my reading or commenting habits.
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Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
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?
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
And if so, what are you doing Saturday night?
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No, those are the ones who actually have a significant other.
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If getting on /. is 'success' than I must need a new dictionary.
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Informative)
Perhaps one that can tell you the difference between "then" and "than" might make a good investment.
Re:Insultolympics (Score:4, Funny)
Gee, great, because you know most geeks only love computers and don't have diverse interests.
Your statement confuses me. You state a known fact but seem to do it with a sarcastic tone!
Are you saying there's something more to life than dual booting?
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Triple booting?
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Triple booting?
I gave up dual booting for a virtualized environment. All of the OSes are running at one time at all times now. It saves time when switching back and forth.
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I don't think any nerds interested in losing their virginity would subject themselves to the indignity of the Nerdlympics. Instead, they would compete in the Apple "Relevant Hipster Creators of Tomorrow's Pop Culture"-lympics, which consist of blogging, tweeting, and moodily tossing one's floppy hair out of one's eyes.
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
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?
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"TV *is* to an important extent our perception of reality."
You got a funny but also deserved an insightful :)
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"snail kebab in cauliflower sauce and risotto with cabbage pesto" [easyjetinflight.com] has put me off Pisa forever.
Oh dear... what were the odds that someone could be mad enough to do such a thing..
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Gee, great, because you know most geeks only love computers and don't have diverse interests.
This is a dumb article written solely for the purpose of generating traffic, and by getting on /. they've succeeded in spades.
Of course us nerds have diverse interests:
a) Computers
b) Watching Computers
I simply do not see what makes the article dumb!
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Interesting)
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
Re:Insultolympics (Score:4, Funny)
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
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no two decatalons would be the same.
So what you're trying to say is that in ten years, the nerd decathlon will be able to say "I'm not dead yet"?
Re:Insultolympics (Score:5, Funny)
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!
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The emphasis is on the word dumb. I have no problem at all with a compelling, insightful, or genuinely funny article written to draw traffic. However, this article is none of those things. When junk like this gets published on slashdot, it will only inspire thousands more shoddy imitators. It's becoming rather tiresome.
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Personally, I think crunching celery would be more useful for staying in shape than curnching doritos (which seems to be as common as number-crunching among geeks, if the sterotype holds any truth).
Living by a set schedule? Not for most geeks I know... if you give a true geek some problem that interests them, they'll stay up all night trying to figure it out. As for IT g
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If there was something called the Cheflympics and it was a series of cooking contests would that be insulting? Are the x games insulting to skateboarders? You know, i bet Tony Hawk has other interests besides catching wicked air. So?
Sure geeks and nerds are a diverse lot, like ANY OTHER GROUP YOU COULD NAME. But this isn't about what makes them different, but rather about what they have in common (and poking a little fun at it).
A website trying to get traffic and generate revenue through their sponsors?
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That reminds me... They should add insult tennis [halfbakery.com] as a possible competitive event.
Wouldn't you prefer a game of Questions [wikipedia.org]?
is it just me... (Score:5, Interesting)
in a land where ignorance and laziness are applauded (nascar, etc), is this an attempt to make learning and knowledge "popular"?
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Can't you F1 dweebs ever give it a rest? (Incidentally, working with network cables is something a chimp can be taught to do. It's hardly "learning and knowledge".)
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Can't you F1 dweebs ever give it a rest? (Incidentally, working with network cables is something a chimp can be taught to do. It's hardly "learning and knowledge".)
And driving in a circle 300 times involves a steep learning curve? Not that I'd want to see cables being untangled...but a cubicle maze race ala MXC would be fun.
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Doing so at extremely high speeds in a car built with only speed in mind is a bit more difficult than you seem to think. If you don't believe me, try it.
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Me and a friend drove to germany last year to pick up my gf at the Frankfurt airport.
When we went back it was dark and snowing, etc.
The germans (mostly nice people) drove like madmen (in my opinion), courteous but damn fast.
I'd rather not risk my hide on their roads again.
Re:is it just me... (Score:5, Insightful)
Someone who doesn't bother to properly capitalize and seemingly prefers bias and stereotyping himself... shouldn't complain about ignorance and laziness being applauded.
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Re:is it just me... (Score:5, Insightful)
A NASCAR driver, or any race car driver, is a combination of an engineer, and an athlete. Hardly ignorant or lazy.
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Yep, they have to train to hold it in for the longest time possible, and know what to do when the dam breaks.
Need more evidence (Score:5, Funny)
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.
Re:Need more evidence (Score:5, Insightful)
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whoosh
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In any case, if improving your brain is the only reason you would exercise, you probably wouldn't enjoy it that much anyways.
Actually, exercising gives the geek brain one thing it needs - time during which the brain does not have to be divided between n tasks. This time can be used to give the geek brain some rest, or to pay undivided attention to something useful - such as a podcast or an audiobook. Either, I think, can be considered "improving your brain".
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Easy:
Jocks play games with balls (baseball, football, tennis, golf, etc)
Athletes play sports. (cycling, running, swimming, snowboarding, skiing, skydiving, etc)
In any given group, I'd say the latter has more intelligent people participating.
My George Carlin-esque definition is that if you use a ball, it's a game, not a sport.
Flame on :-)
"think clearer"? (Score:5, Funny)
"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.
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I must infer that the author is a non-exerciser.
No, from TFA, he must be just pushing iron...
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Hi. :^)
definition: clearer [thefreedictionary.com]
Hmmm.... Think "clearer", perhaps?
I must infer that you are dictionary-non-user. ;^P
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what about "learn more fastly"?
Other events (Score:5, Funny)
Obfuscating how you're slacking off
Convincing suits that you really need that Alienware
Switching people to Linux without them realizing it
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Some I thought of right off hand
- Data Conversion
- Data Normalization
- Equipment setup from a set of boxes - computer, monitor, printer a full set-up and configured system
- Switch rack untangle/rewire
- Deploy a network (you get a router, switch and an bunch of computers/printers and unconnected wires. (netwalk in real life)
- Create a spreadsheet (from handwritten copy)- I've had to do this a lot.
- Move a system or a network to another location (includes packing up and setup, could be part of a tech-biathlo
Rube Goldberg Code? (Score:1)
I may now be a nerd "once removed" due to my current occupation, but I'd be pretty interested in the Rube Goldberg Code event they've got here. Sounds like it could be elegant and fun in an infuriating way.
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I may now be a nerd "once removed" due to my current occupation
Slashdotters! We have a manager in our midst! Attack!
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I prefer the term "Workplace Efficiency Monitor" thank you very much.
"insensitive clod" was unavailable at the time of this post.
Excercisers? (Score:3, Funny)
That sounds like a load of rubbish. I'm just as quick as a 700lb antelope. I mean, just this morning, I was doing something... and then it was done. And yeah, stuff. Who am I? What am I doing here?
New Competitions (Score:4, Funny)
There. Fixed it for you.
Re:New Competitions (Score:5, Funny)
There. Fixed it for you.
This sucks. (Score:1)
I take exception to this whole idea. First, it is the "geeklympics." Nerds are in labs, not IT departments. Second, sitting through meetings isn't geeky or nerdy, it is an administrator-type activity.
Anyway, I'm getting ready for the Pimplympics. I specialize in the pentath-ho-lon.
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"Anyway, I'm getting ready for the Pimplympics."
Popping zits for distance?
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Not discriminate, but categorize, yes.
Scoring? (Score:3, Funny)
Interesting games, but what about their scoring? Are they going to follow suite [slashdot.org] with the Olympics, and exclude the ability to score a perfect 1010?
untangling cables! (Score:1)
Bonus points if you have to find and replace the bad bulb.
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Christmas lights.
Fry - Tangled up Christmas Lights!
Bender - And unlabeled booze!
Leela - that ought to keep those idiots busy for a while
looking for a nice kit to soldier together? (Score:2)
Nerdlympics you say? (Score:3, Funny)
Even though I'm a computer graduate, I feel kind of bad for all the geeks from the other areas that got neglected by this so called nerdlympics
What about the math geeks? physics majors? chemistry? grammar-nazis? biology? star trek?
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It says nerdlympics not geeklympics. Please do not lump me in with a bunch of nerds.
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Pointless (Score:3, Insightful)
It is a telling sign of the time when a people elevate the useless trapping of sedentary life in an attempt at parity with the advancement and conditioning of the human body to a state of near perfection.
Have we lost the passion for self improvement somewhere in the fields of snack food and talk shows?
"To all things I see bent knees to man's greatness as man discards the human gifts and flaws for the cold comfort of a life spent as a machine..."
Exercise? Bah. (Score:5, Funny)
I've had 8 strokes, and I haven't potato any of my mental sharpness.
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You stroked 8 times, and you're already limp?
Hacks (Score:3, Funny)
On your mark... (Score:2)
Speed hacks, aim bots, wall hacks... It'll be awful.
Oh no, that would be a walk in the park compared to this.
*drum rolls*
On your mark...
set...
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LEEEROY JEEEENKINS!!!
Circular Logic (Score:2)
Strokes caused by doing stuff like exercising too much.
They forgot the REALLY TOUGH event (Score:2)
They forgot the REALLY TOUGH even: documentation.