Happy Intransition Day!
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/340143
I was thinking we could use this day to celebrate all transitions that
take > 12 months… like elephant gestation (22 months), rhinos (~29
months!), N American cicadas (13 and 17 years!!), etc…
Or… Think of it like the opposite of _why day.
MINBWAAJ?
m.
On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 7:06 AM, Ryan D. [email protected]
wrote:
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/340143
cmon ryan, do we really have to resurrect that?
you’re cool, pls do not lose it…
best regards -botp
On 6/24/10, Ryan D. [email protected] wrote:
Happy Intransition Day!
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/340143
I was thinking we could use this day to celebrate all transitions that take
12 months… like elephant gestation (22 months), rhinos (~29 months!), N
American cicadas (13 and 17 years!!), etc…Or… Think of it like the opposite of _why day.
Jesus, Ryan. That was extraordinarily rude. But then, what else should
we expect from you?
On Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 6:43 PM, Martin DeMello
[email protected] wrote:
MINBWAAJ?
m.
What does that mean? My acronym-fu is broken.
On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 4:36 AM, Ryan D. [email protected] wrote:
Happy Intransition Day!
Does Intransition Day have anything to do with the current list member
called Intransition?
To hold a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping your enemy will get
sick.
Eric C. wrote:
What does that mean? My acronym-fu is broken.
Please, let’s all just leave this thread alone.
The operative acronym is MINASWAN: Matz is nice and so we are nice.
It’s unfortunate when petty disputes become a permanent part of the
history of ruby-talk, along with all the enlightening discussions,
helpful advice, announcements of great projects, etc.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming 
On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 3:10 PM, Joel VanderWerf
[email protected] wrote:
Eric C. wrote:
What does that mean? My acronym-fu is broken.
Please, let’s all just leave this thread alone.
Sorry, didn’t mean to continue a bad thread (and especially since this
thread is already old, which I hadn’t noticed). This will be my last
post on it.
The operative acronym is MINASWAN: Matz is nice and so we are nice.
Ah, that is good to know – so at least something good came out of this
On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 11:56 PM, Eric C.
[email protected] wrote:
On Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 6:43 PM, Martin DeMello [email protected] wrote:
MINBWAAJ?
m.
What does that mean? My acronym-fu is broken.
Matz Is Nice But We Are All Jerks
martin
On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Rick DeNatale [email protected]
wrote:
Matz Is Nice But We Are All Jerks
As Tonto said to the Lone Ranger in reply to “Well Tonto, it looks
like we’re done for!” when they were surrounded by hostile indians“What do you mean WE Kimo-sabe?”
Hence the questionmark
m.
On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 8:55 AM, Martin DeMello
[email protected] wrote:
As Tonto said to the Lone Ranger in reply to “Well Tonto, it looks
like we’re done for!” when they were surrounded by hostile indians
“What do you mean WE Kimo-sabe?”
–
Rick DeNatale
Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/
Github: rubyredrick (Rick DeNatale) · GitHub
Twitter: @RickDeNatale
WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale
My apologies for not getting to this sooner. I’ve been planning on it,
but have been busy with (too many) other things.
On Jun 24, 7:06 pm, Ryan D. [email protected] wrote:
Happy Intransition Day!
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/340143
I was thinking we could use this day to celebrate all transitions that take > 12 months… like elephant gestation (22 months), rhinos (~29 months!), N American cicadas (13 and 17 years!!), etc…
Or… Think of it like the opposite of _why day.
This actually struck me as somewhat funny. Irregardless of Ryan’s
motives, there is, I think, some interesting considerations here.
_why was clearly a beloved member of the Ruby community --perhaps the
most beloved of all. His many useful projects from Hpricot to Syck,
his fun stuff like the Mousehole and Hoodwink’d, and his writing and
comics culminating in the Poignant Guide represent an incredible of
body of work and a level of productively far beyond the norm. It would
probably be fair to say that we was a genius. One that brought his
gifts to bare on the world of Ruby and made a sizable impact of the
development of Ruby and it’s community. He was a Ruby celebrity.
Perhaps THE Ruby celebrity. And we all loved him for it.
However, he did a really crappy thing. He abandoned this community,
without a word, without a thought. He deleted all his projects, lock,
stock and barrel. Perhaps he understood that archives of his work
would be revived. Perhaps he thought by vanishing it would provide
even more drive for others to carry on his projects. But we can only
speculate on such motives. On the face of it he was simply a jerk. At
least when Zed left he honestly spoke his mind and told us why; at
least he promised continued minimal support to the project he was
leaving. But _why did no such honorable thing. He gave us no closure.
Why _why he left is a mystery and it will probably always remain so.
And yet, despite this dick behavior, despite out-and-out abandoning
the entire ruby community, _why is honored with a “Ruby Holiday”.
Now I think as far as _why’s work goes he deserves all the honors that
have been bestowed him, and I think his leaving us as he did, despite
it’s inconsideration, is forgivable. Lord knows, I have felt the same
way a few times, as Ryan has pointed out (and mostly thanks to Ryan).
So I say, “Yeah for _why day!” But it is interesting to note, I think,
how it is that poor behavior seems to garner more respect than honest.
I’m sure you can think of plenty of examples in the larger world, as
can I (politicians especially). Why is this so? Is this a trend of
modern day? Or has it always been this way? Does being exceptional at
what you do, give you a free pass to be a be less than nice to others?
And they’ll love you all the more for it anyway? I am really puzzled
by human nature sometimes.
In any case, as for me… All I want to do is bring the many projects
I started (and honestly I started too many, but c’est la vie) to a
reasonable state of finality and functionality, to add my little bit
of excellence to the Ruby ecosystem, so that the community can benefit
from my efforts. Eventually I will be moving on to projects unrelated
to Ruby, though I will remain available to provide support if needed.
And yes, to make this transition takes time, a long time to do it
right. Despite criticisms, I persevere to that end. Perhaps it doesn’t
warrant me a minor holiday, but I give my best.
btw. June 28th was Tau Day (http://tauday.com/) I love this. I
actually thought of the same idea back in 2003. I was working on a
physics paper and kept writing 2π over and over and thought, “This
is nuts. It’s a Whole Pie!” Really that’s exactly what I thought!
So I went looking for another variable to equal 2π and the choice
was surprisingly obvious, τ. So I love what Michael H. has done
here. He is quite right, in my book. And I’ll make sure to celebrate
the day next year… four days after I celebrate Intransition day 
On 9 Jul 2010, at 13:00, Jörg W Mittag wrote:
Interesting. I never thought about it as a “dick behavior”. But then,
I never thought about _why as an online persona, I thought about
_why as a piece of online performance art. And it is in the very
nature of performance art that (unlike all other art) it only lasts as
long as the performance. And the very abrupt end of said performance
was actually itself an integral part of the performance; after all, we
know how much _why loved the meta and what could be more meta than
making the end of the performance a piece of performance art in
itself?
I also share that view. _Why’s body of work has that special blend of
genius and hubris which marks all great art and all great hacks, but
it’s so much less as a fossilised artefact than the performance which
gave rise to it. I understand the motivation for an annual celebration
as clearly that performance was something in which many of us played
walk-on roles and remembering those times brings back fond memories. I’d
never have started speaking at conferences if Camping hadn’t coincided
with my own half-baked experiments in web framework design, so when I
think of _why I think of all the conferences I’ve attended since and all
the fiendishly clever people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
Performance art has resonance long beyond its moment.
But it’s also transient - and thankfully so! The raging fire clown
inciting the masses to throw rules and convention to the wind in pursuit
of beauty soon become the respectable old master, a dead weight
preventing the very experimentation he so dearly cherished in his youth.
I’m glad that’s not the fate _why’s suffered.
And in leaving so abruptly he reminded the community of life’s deepest
and most significant truth: mortality. Nothing can last forever nor
should we expect it to.
As to Ryan’s suggestion, that young man clearly needs a nice up of tea
and a sit-down. It does wonders for balancing the humours - especially
when accompanied by a half-dozen Jammie Dodgers[tm]
Ellie
raise ArgumentError unless @reality.responds_to? :reason
Intransition wrote:
And yet, despite this dick behavior, despite out-and-out abandoning
the entire ruby community, _why is honored with a “Ruby Holiday”.
Interesting. I never thought about it as a “dick behavior”. But then,
I never thought about _why as an online persona, I thought about
_why as a piece of online performance art. And it is in the very
nature of performance art that (unlike all other art) it only lasts as
long as the performance. And the very abrupt end of said performance
was actually itself an integral part of the performance; after all, we
know how much _why loved the meta and what could be more meta than
making the end of the performance a piece of performance art in
itself?
jwm
And yet, despite this dick behavior, despite out-and-out abandoning
the entire ruby community, _why is honored with a “Ruby Holiday”.
_why was approximately 1000x more creative than you, Ryan or Zed ever
will
be, 7rans. At least Ryan is still actively using Ruby so no complaint
here.
Zed just isn’t. It is of no interest what he does other than writing
stupid flames against _why while having abandoned Ruby completely.
how it is that poor behavior seems to garner more respect than honest.
You seem to be the one here who enjoys riding the attacks. When talking
about respect, one shouldn’t include statements like “dick move”, such
as you did.
Eventually I will be moving on to projects unrelated to Ruby, though
I will remain available to provide support if needed.
Oh! Already on the trollwagon away from Ruby? I mean, it is a bit ironic
critisizing _why when you plan to do precisely the same. But I will be
carefully reviewing your projects. Hopefully they will be of great
quality, after all one gets to be famous critisizing _why these days eh?
It is wonderful - the people who critisize _why the most are often those
who left Ruby as well. This makes it a bit hypocritical of these people
to complain.
On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 10:10 AM, Eleanor McHugh
[email protected] wrote:
also share that view. _Why’s body of work has that special blend of genius and hubris
And if I may be permitted to say with a soupçon of insanity.
Rick DeNatale
Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/
Github: rubyredrick (Rick DeNatale) · GitHub
Twitter: @RickDeNatale
WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale
On Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 3:10 PM, Eleanor McHugh <
[email protected]> wrote:
I also share that view. _Why’s body of work has that special blend of
genius and hubris which marks all great art and all great hacks,
In “A Mathematician’s Apology” G H Hardy says something to the effect
that
one should think more of one’s own work than is strictly justified, and
then
says that the really difficult bit is not over-exaggerating the quality
of
one’s own work too much.
Karl Kraus (in english translation): Artists have a right to be modest
and a
duty to be vain.
http://www.memorablequotations.com/kraus.htm
But it’s also transient - and thankfully so! The raging fire clown inciting
the masses to throw rules and convention to the wind in pursuit of beauty
soon become the respectable old master, a dead weight preventing the very
experimentation he so dearly cherished in his youth. I’m glad that’s not the
fate _why’s suffered.
Becoming a “respectable old master” and avoiding experimentation isn’t
inevitable - in fact, I can think of quite a few who didn’t, for
example:
Erdos, Shakespeare, Vaughan Williams, Faure, Stravinsky, Rachmaninov
(I’m
being intentionally provocative, as he’s thought of as being
conservative
musically, but the late Symphonic Dances are Rachmaninov doing something
new), Verdi, Minna Keal, Feynman, maybe Niels Bohr? (I seem to recall
you
have a physics background, so you’re probably better placed than me to
decide on Bohr: one reason I have a maths degree is that I found physics
too
difficult!)
http://www.musicweb-international.com/keal/index.htm
And in leaving so abruptly he reminded the community of life’s deepest and
most significant truth: mortality. Nothing can last forever nor should we
expect it to.As to Ryan’s suggestion, that young man clearly needs a nice cup of tea and
a sit-down. It does wonders for balancing the humours - especially when
accompanied by a half-dozen Jammie Dodgers[tm]
I think the Ruby community needs an Aunt Eleanor, and I think you may
have
just volunteered!
(Schoenberg, on being asked by an Austrian army sergeant if he was the
“notorious Schoenberg”: yes, someone had to be, and nobody else
volunteered.)
On Jul 9, 10:56 am, Marc H. [email protected] wrote:
And yet, despite this dick behavior, despite out-and-out abandoning
the entire ruby community, _why is honored with a “Ruby Holiday”._why was approximately 1000x more creative than you, Ryan or Zed ever
will
be, 7rans. At least Ryan is still actively using Ruby so no complaint
here.
hyperbole much?
But I never compared anyones relative talents. So I don’t see why it
is even relevant. I don’t need to compare myself to _why. I am who I
am and I do the best that I can. Do you think _why is responsible for
the creation of _why? _why is fortunate that the Universe/God has
bestowed upon him the gifts that it has. But I am glad he shared them
with us.
Zed just isn’t. It is of no interest what he does other than writing
stupid flames against _why while having abandoned Ruby completely.
Isn’t what? Zed is entitled to his opinions, and as least he expressed
them before moving on. I wouldn’t say Zed “abandoned” Ruby either. He
made a personal decision to develop code elsewhere, but just recently
I was working on some Ruby code for viewing librelists, when I
mentioned it wasn’t Python but was Ruby, he didn’t mind at all but was
in fact quite encouraging.
how it is that poor behavior seems to garner more respect than honest.
You seem to be the one here who enjoys riding the attacks. When talking
about respect, one shouldn’t include statements like “dick move”, such
as you did.
I think you should try reading more carefully. I did not attack _why.
In fact I praised him. The only criticism I have is of his “closing
act”. Are you really going to argue that deleting all his open source
projects and leaving without a word was morally upstanding?
Eventually I will be moving on to projects unrelated to Ruby, though
I will remain available to provide support if needed.Oh! Already on the trollwagon away from Ruby? I mean, it is a bit ironic
critisizing _why when you plan to do precisely the same. But I will be
carefully reviewing your projects. Hopefully they will be of great
quality, after all one gets to be famous critisizing _why these days eh?
trollwagon? I said I was going to move on over a year ago. Didn’t your
read Ryan’s post? That’s hardly what _why did. Would you rather I
deleted all my projects and the google group archive and up and left
without a word too? Or is it you simply have no idea about me
whatsoever, so really shouldn’t be making accusations?
On 9 Jul 2010, at 16:31, Colin B. wrote:
http://www.memorablequotations.com/kraus.htm
Poem Hunter: Poems - Poets - Poetry
This is great advice - although I’ve vanity can be surprisingly hard
work unless aided by a copious supply of alcohol and a willing audience
musically, but the late Symphonic Dances are Rachmaninov doing something
new), Verdi, Minna Keal, Feynman, maybe Niels Bohr? (I seem to recall you
have a physics background, so you’re probably better placed than me to
decide on Bohr: one reason I have a maths degree is that I found physics too
difficult!)
MINNA KEAL (1909-1999)
Oh there are certainly counter-examples. Indeed I was originally going
to use Stravinsky as a case of the master being more shocking than the
pupils - but anyone who’s sat through a “contemporary” performance of
The Firebird or The Rites of Spring will know that regardless of the
intent those who come after the event have a depressingly flat approach
to creativity. A little closer to my regular tastes, I often feel
decidedly misanthropic at what parses (sic) for punk or metal these
days… it’s basically music by numbers lol
Bohr was fairly conservative even in his youth - the Copenhagen
interpretation was really a way of not being radical at a time when the
new physics was ripping up five centuries of renaissance/enlightenment
faith in an absolute and completely knowable reality. Bye bye Newtonian
clockwork, hello virtual particles and uncertainty. Gödel was doing much
the same in math, it’s just incompleteness has never made it into
popular consciousness the same way lol
Feynman on the other hand is definitely up there amongst the life-long
iconoclausts, or for a bit more controversy (although their views are no
more controversial per se than his) Kary Mullis or Rupert Sheldrake.
Science and art are not as dissimilar as our culture often likes to
pretend.
As an aside, I studied physics because I never got the hang of math. Not
that anyone ever believes me
(Schoenberg, on being asked by an Austrian army sergeant if he was the
“notorious Schoenberg”: yes, someone had to be, and nobody else
volunteered.)
The first rule of volunteering… don’t!
Although I’m guessing as everyone’s Aunty I get control of the biscuit
tin? Now that’s the kind of responsibility I think I should be trusted
with
Ellie
raise ArgumentError unless @reality.responds_to? :reason
On Sat, Aug 21, 2010 at 09:54:47AM +0900, Eric MSP Veith wrote:
I’m a real freshman to the Ruby community. I know “Why the lucky stiff” from
the chapter artworks in the “The Ruby P.ming Language” book and from
his (?) guide to Ruby. Aside, he seems to be a mystery, maybe even to the
people that make up the Ruby Community.
He was definitely something of a mystery.
Now, that there’s some sort of opinion war going on, I’d like to ask a very
simple, perhaps very stupid, newbe question: Who is “Why The Lucky Stiff”,
why is there some sort of celebreation day? I mean, he must have done
something extremely remarquable. I don’t know about a “Matz Celebreation
Day”, for example (correct me if I’m wrong, I likely am).
Well . . . Matz hasn’t died or gone missing (knock on wood).
So, no offense intended, who is/was this “Why The Lucky Stiff”?
He was a guy who, with almost every word he shared on this site and in
his writings on the Web, tended to cause Ruby community members (and
others) to question their preconceptions and look at things from new
perspectives.
This is probably a good place to start:
http://whyday.org/This forum is not affiliated to the Ruby language, Ruby on Rails framework, nor any Ruby applications discussed here.
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