So @Rubio Linux? Why?

Why not?

Lol okay well the course is called "Software Development in Linux Systems".. do you think it is something worth knowing

I suppose it depends on what you hope to get out of it.

Useful languages I guess

If you want to do games design, it's unlikely that software development on Linux is going to be particularly relevant - it's not exactly a high market-share game platform

Make myself more unique as a potential employee

If you want to learn how Linux works, though, (say) to be able to trace a program and have a clue what it means when a program is doing

^ ... that

Are you trying to hack me

then yes, taking a class on software development in Linux Systems is probably a good thing :)

> 14:10:28 getsockname(4, {sa_family=AF_NETLINK, nl_pid=21110, nl_groups=00000000}, [16->12]) = 0

@n_palum No, he's finding your sock.

I can't imagine they'd suggest it as an Advanced Elective to my coursework if it wouldn't be helpful or relevant

Get off of my socks @Rubio

That's how we find sockpuppets, actually. ;)

I love socks, I have the best socks, you can't have them

@Rand Why did you need a sockpuppet in the first place?

I mean - that trace up there, I actually just took off my desktop while running a command. It's a tiny piece of all it was doing, so understanding even what command I ran from just that isn't possible (it'd be like saying "What book did this come from? father's secret his whole")

but I can read what that trace says and know what was happening right there, without really having to try very hard to do so

and if I was trying to debug an issue, having that skill is pretty durned handy

You can keep your traces and leave my socks be

Also, spoilers the book was "The Lost Gate" by Orson Scott Card. I hope I didn't give anything away there. :)

@Sid Me? I didn't. You might be getting me mixed up with some other user there ;-)

@Rubio VTC: too broad.

The voice inside your head never voted for you, though. I wondered why you even needed that.

:)

Oh, that sock!

Yeah, the only thing I've used it for is comic relief in chat.

VTC(laim): Socks

And occasionally checking what's actually visible to low-rep users.

So, you are using that akin to a king in fairy tales that goes out in disguise every night to find out the prevailing situation among the poor in his kingdom?

cleaning up SFF questions from 2013, rand?

oh. late answer to old question, judging by the number. nvm, moving along

@Sid Heh. Something like that.

@Rubio ?

on Charcoal.

If I had any computer-savviness whatsoever, I might consider setting up a chatbot on my sock account. But meh.

@Rubio Oh, you lurk in Charcoal? Yeah, new answer to old question. Spam doesn't usually last four years!

I hop in there to report crap on PSE once in a while, especially when no mods are around

I don't have !! power though, alas

I didn't even realise !! was a power for a long time - I thought it was something anyone could do.

Apparently all blues get the power automatically.

nifty

I think if you hang around and contribute long enough you can earn it, but - well - I don't

@humn That was really for our intrepid answerer, not you, but it seems they didn't pick up what you were putting down

@Rubio have you ever done the Binary bomb lab? seems like something you might like if you like figuring out what programs do

I've never even heard of it

Here's a link of some version of it: zpalexander.com/binary-bomb-lab-set-up

Yeah looking at that now

That was one of my favorites to do while i was at college.

It's a level lower than I usually go - I once had to do this sort of thing for my job, where the developers had some code doing something stupid but For Proprietary Reasons couldn't (or, well, wouldn't is more correct) share the code with me

> Most idiotic, coming first in the class after sending mud back (7)

@Deusovi ^ because I kept thinking of this word when working on your clue

I ended up reverse-engineering what their C code probably was based on the object code produced, but it took a hella long time to do. I did find their error, and gave some rough pseudo-code for what I thought their C code looked like and pointed out what was probably wrong

and apparently I was right about it

It's a pretty puzzly project if you want to do it in your free time. You have to figure out what each step does and provide input that won't make the bomb explode

I'll have to look at this more when I have more time though, I think you're right that I'd enjoy it :) thanks

I don't know if this version has that extra something in it though :P

But if it does and you find it, it's nice

@Randal'Thor That's seriously the dumbest cryptic I've ever seen. ;)

I agree, that was my almost immediate first thought too

@Rubio I forget if you're one of our cryptic experts (if not, I'll ping Deus): would it have been acceptable to say e.g. "muck" instead of "mud", to obfuscate the clue a little more? Or is that the kind of indirect cluing that's considered a no-no?

I'm no Deus. I'd think it was fine in principal, though muck isn't really mud

(out of the blue)

Dear @Abusive Kangaroo, you gave me an idea.

Hi @humn!

Stackexchange is ezzentially all about puzzles that vexxx us.

Oh, speak of the devil.

(and yuuuuuu, dear Rand!)

(now the rest of my preprepared comments won't fit)

It's been told, @Rand y, that I write like an angel but speak like the devil

... and edit like a fiend

@Randal'Thor That's fine.

anyway - i'm sure you can use a reversal indicator on a synonym of what you're going for...

well there ya go :)

@Rubio you reverse-engineered a program just on seeing the output? That's so cool..

was going to reference one of Deus's TIMES< clues

@humn My "speak of the devil" referred not to you but to someone else who came into the room just as they were mentioned.

@Rubio ?

@Sid Er, not in that case. I had the trace output, and the object code. But no source.

Revolutionary paper: "A - B - C, perhaps?" (8)

@Deusovi Oh good! (It's so hard to keep track of exactly what you pedants consider acceptable :-P )

The only "indirectness" issue is anagrams - typically, everything else is fair game as long as it's not ridiculously unfair

Oh right, that clue! SEMIT<+ONE

Technically "mud" -> "dum" is an anagram.

I liked the "A-B-C" misdirection

Yeah that was sneaky. :)

Sure, but it's not clued as an anagram. It's clued as a reversal.

Which is a type of anagram.

Hey, I'm a pedant too! :-)

The reason for the directness rule about anagrams is to limit the options. Knowing how to anagram is much fairer than having to try all n! possibilities (or less, with repeated letters)

Mm, fair point.

It's not anagrams being a different type of wordplay that sets them apart, it's the generality. :P

@Sid We were allowed to use calculators after high-school in exams (atleast the ones who are into engineering are allowed)

Yeah, Engineering students are allowed. They even have those scientific calculators where they can calculate logarithms, etc.

Yup. Basic ones wont help.

I dislike the idea that I have to find the cube of a decimal number and then multiply Avogadro's number(Or something similar) and then divide by some other number and find out an answer and we are expected to do that in less than 5 minutes.

It's the only way to break the light barrier, @Sid, get used to it (zorry about more abuze, buit Z have something to zay bout it )

I don't quite understand what you meant. But okay. in any case, i am glad I finally got out of that mess which is called high school.

(every utteranze is open to interpretation around a site called Puzzling)

I fear humn may have taken a too-hard one to the head.

Too reeeeeel.

You've only started fearing that now? :P

@Deusovi Good point. My bad.

sigh ...

CCCC is Cryptic Clue Chat Chains - see this awesome guide for a cryptic clues primer, and join in!

Two weeks just isn't what it used to be

Toooooo weaaaak.

Counting on the ability of this stream to follow more than one at a time....

Stackexchange is ezzentially all about puzzles that vexxx us.

And some of us neeeeed atttttention, goooood or baad.

So why not abusssstackexchange.com?

Might be a neeeeded releef valvvvvv.

@humn Which one was it? Vodka, Whiskey or Beer?

Before ....

Is this part of a puzzle, or just you being your usual self?

'

...That's not an answer to the question. It's an apostrophe.

no time like the prererereresent to establish self-rerereerefererererentialism

nooooooooooooooo, so many (re)thrererererrrrrrrrreads

I don't think an apostrophe is self-referential.

(...Seriously, are you okay? I'm a bit concerned.)

Well perceived, D, I've been hanging on for (fill in the blanks, but please don't send the authorities, I mean well. Well, well, ...)

...Take care of yourself, okay? And let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

(You Dinger. what a sensitive moment)

(That's also why I appeal for an ever-more-constructive approach for dealing with others' plies for attention)

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

(I've been at the point of "hanging on" before... there is always an end to the cycle bud)

Very much appreciated.

But not a ploy for such kindness, except for others.

Everyone needs a little kindness in their life

^ ! (It's not fair, some of us receive more kindness than deserved while others don't)

^ rant on! rant off.

Everyone deserves some in their life, independent of other people.. taking care of yourself is more important than worrying about other people from time to time

When was life meant to be fair, anyway?

Never was

It said "fair" on the brochure.

On that note, I probably should try to get some sleep. Have a nice day/Good night(Whatever time of day, it is)

Pleasant dreams, @Sid

Cya Sid

OK, time for namereveals? "Deusovi=Devious" "humn=not the rat I really am"... so many to decipher

I'm not quite sure I follow.. we knew Deus?

"Palum"? Sounds delicious.

"n"? Sounds predicative.

"humn"? sounding more interrogative than intended

(another conversation successfully stymied, unintentionally, apologiaevowelly)

Your name just makes me think of humming

Mine is just parts of my name :)

The best parts, no doubt.

More like the first parts

Ain't we got fun.

(Ps., @Deusovi, follow that sensitive nerve. Many close calls result in the future.)

(signed - lucky enough to tell the story)

'Think it over (had to reeem an errant keystroke).

stumped? me too.

A bit busy, but I've been reading over the conversation occasionally.

You're being more enigmatic than usual.

can happen

I wouldn't know

dinger dagner diddly censored sometimes

and other times not.. what a play

I'm gathering that you're slightly inebriated - which does not help the situation

i am pixilated nonstop

sometimes with, sometimes not, care to elaborate? o wuyld.

Wow. @humn certainly has an inimitable style.

u!

"Inimitable" is very accurate.

I've tried to imitate it.

It's just impossible.

To quote: Ain't wegot but.

I'd like to star some of these humnisms, but there are just too many to fill the star-board, and no one message that stands out.

But, really, I have a proposilly serious.

Why not abusssstackexchange.com?

I could imitate it.. would just have to drink a bit.. but it's only 1700 here

In palum years

Palum Sunday was last week!

Andi gave up sensibility

What I think he is trying to get at again is why is there no stackexchange for abusers? e.g an AA stackexchange of a sorts? Unless I am misinterpreting this

I'm sure it's been proposed on Area 51.

RRRRRRRRRRRRR!

(Fn-ing keyboard just sends whatever)

Oh, is it the keyboard that turns ordinary speech into humnisms?

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa&!

humn and his mother, mumn

I think he's just trying to say right

humn is certainly not dumn

@humn Were you making a deliberate Garrick/Goldsmith reference, a bit earlier? I ask merely out of curiosity.

@n_palum , worth a try!

As for the ... peculiar style, I'm trying to work out whether it's Finnegans Wake or Stanley Unwin he's been overdosing on.

But we should worry if his writing ever becomes entirely normal. That would just be inhumn.

@GarethMcCaughan , you play under my (and others') mind(s) before I(we) even have a chance to get there

period.

"undermind," if you don't mind, that is.

o noes I've been undermind

^ see what i min?

^ that?

^wat!

Mind games

evr sins eye lrn gnggngngngnslhsh

unfortunately chat doesn't permit the formatting that would enable me to reproduce the ancient puzzle/joke that, properly interpreted, reads "I understand you undertake to undermine my undertaking".

Hey @humn, you should come over to Literature and see if anyone there can identify your writing style!

Oh my

dinger dnngers! I have m^s of Qs unposted for L.SE

stand take mine taking
  I    you  to    my

@GarethMcCaughan ^ that?

oh, you can do that here?

:-D

flag

@humn That's what I was hoping!

that didn't work

He has his share of questions waiting to post of LSE

Fmost, 'roman-a-clef'

so how does one do multiline code formatting here?

(and i am not a "je")

@GarethMcCaughan , bunch (>3) of spaces on each line and Shift+Return (thanks, R) between them

Coherency to help Gareth suddenly..

zat a CCCC?

@humn Shift+Return, you mean?

that works here?

Heh. Getting told off by Gamow for saying this is a dupe

testing ... testing ... 0 ... 1 ... 0 ... 1 ...
now is the tick for all good meanders to coconut to the aim of the paradox

ooh, it does!

@BeastlyGerbil Well, it is a dupe. Different number, same puzzle.

@Randal'Thor I knew about shift+return. I didn't know that leading-spaces code formatting works here.

@Rand thats exactly what I replied...

Anyway, night all

It's like saying all those "number of holes within the digits" puzzles shouldn't be dupes because oh, they're different digits being considered.

@BeastlyGerbil Night!

@Gareth McCaughan, sooner or later scientists will discover a way to disembiguate us.

@GarethMcCaughan Hey, you speak humnish!

humnish? humnian? humnic?

humniac

@BeastlyGerbil Still needs two more close votes. @humn, @Gareth, you want to do the honours?

BBBBst?

(Or do you also think it shouldn't be a dupe?)

@Randal'Thor I hesitated but did VTC-as-dupe. Hesitation because the mere fact that only the numbers have changed doesn't in itself mean that the puzzles are the same. (Puzzle 1: Prove that there are no nontrivial positive integer solutions of x^3+y^3=z^3. Puzzle 2: Prove that there are no nontrivial positive integer solutions of x^4+y^4=z^4. Both are soluble, but unless you choose to go via Wiles or something they're quite different because the method of solution is different.)

(For the avoidance of doubt, both are also totally inappropriate as puzzles here, of course.)

But I think in this case the method of solution is also similar enough to close as duplicate.

(late correction "disambiguate")

oh, I thought it was deliberate

and was going to make a comment about it sounding painfully cromulent

why do I even bother?

so ____________ that others know what was meant

(gotta be a word for that, but I overcycled too)

and, once again, does this font make my overcycled look like overcydled?

it would be overcyded not overcycled. but no, at least to me, it looks fine

vvevv

Gareth, admit ith, we occupy the same th

"be vevvy vevvy quiet, I'm hunting vvabbits"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Always that it was vewwy vewwy

   <
   <
   <^^^^
vvvv>
    >
    >

@humn As long as you don't use your mouse click too much.

@n_palum so did I but a bit of googling suggests that unfortunately the "w"s are canonically undoubled

when I started writing it I was hoping to put vevvvvy vevvvvy but authenticity is all

nd t b sd? crwth?

@Randal'Thor There is an urban legend (perhaps it's even true) that at one time the so-called Comics Code told makers of comics not to use the word FLICK...

The wet vet wove a view.

U fkkkkkrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr(s)

a view?

no that's the view

Vvomen vvith a vievv?

If nobody z t n thr vW, worth it

You're all barnny

jst skip the lst 22 mms

@Rubio Nnißion axonnplished.

I thought there were only 12 mms. (The last being l-Mhd.)

@humn R w drppng vwls nw?

Ayiyiyiy 'm still trying to ctch up with dz ago

(I have no idea what Gareth and humn are on about at this point.)

f u cn rd ths, itn tyg h myxbl cd.

@GarethMcCaughan I can only read the first half of that.

ditititititiitititititititititititititittt O

@Randal'Thor That's the point. (There used to be advertisements that began "f u cn rd this" and continued with some nonsense about becoming a secretary. The version above was a piss-take of those.)

Puzzling Chat Chronicles, Chapter XIV: "The Humnification"

/////u sf = U sif = you sof/ = you dig ! = you dog!

-rm rf

every morning I partake an editablet

there@

One of you should pick up on Techidiot's lead in the Soapbox question

@boboquack ok, done

though I may have omitted some omissions (besides what I take to be the intendedly omitted omission, whose omission I have not omitted).

@Gareth Good job!

It was pretty straightforward given that Techidiot had already done the actual work.

(and given that you'd drawn attention to the importance of errors)

I'm just fixing up the omitted omissions now.

Now fixed.

@Gareth Followed your suggestion

OK. I shall do likewise, then.

(done)