_why's site is updated • Hacker News Board

Re: _why's site is updated

#41

Post by bitops » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:20 PM UTC

enoptix wrote: post #15

gabrielgironda wrote: post #9

Here are all the PCL files rendered to PNG: http://www.gironda.org/pcl/DESOLEE.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/SOLICIT.png http://www.gironda.org/pcl/TRUMPETS.png

the second image uses the word "exile" several times. Exile is typically associated with being cast out from one's group. The _why saga was before my time as a Rubyist but I always thought he vanished, i.e. left on his own accord. Was there an "exile" event that I am not aware of? Or does anyone know what he's talking about?

I can't think of any specific "exile event", but it did seem some time before he left that there was a trend in the Ruby/Rails community that made him feel unwelcome. That trend was "replace why's libraries and make noise about how his library wasn't any good".

Hpricot in particular was under heavy assault. I'll be the first to say that maybe it wasn't always the most performant solution, but for a long time it was the only good solution (and I tried a few). So when people are ripping your libraries left and right, forgetting to pay a little bit of respect to how big an impact he had on the community, then yeah...I could see how he'd feel the need for a self-imposed exile.

Re: _why's site is updated

#42

Post by chasingtheflow » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:20 PM UTC

itafroma wrote: post #40

chasingtheflow wrote: post #35

How did people know/figure out that it was a PCL file?

PCL is a well-known format and _why (or whoever is controlling the domain) did this a few months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5015087

thanks!

Re: _why's site is updated

#43

Post by callahad » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:22 PM UTC

chasingtheflow wrote: post #35

How did people know/figure out that it was a PCL file?

  $ file DESOLEE
  DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data

Re: _why's site is updated

#44

Post by gabrielgironda » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:22 PM UTC

chasingtheflow wrote: post #35

How did people know/figure out that it was a PCL file?

  $ file DESOLEE
  DESOLEE: HP PCL printer data
  $ whatis -s 1 file
  file (1)             - determine file type

Re: _why's site is updated

#45

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:24 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: _why's site is updated

#46

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:27 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #45

[deleted]

[deleted]

Re: _why's site is updated

#47

Post by donaldguy » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:28 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #45

[deleted]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2012/03/... http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/15/why-a-tale-of-a-p...

TL;DR a prolific pseudonymous rubyist who was very active in the ruby and rails community. Noted for his particularly whimsical (and/or arful) style of approaching problems and communication. Probably best known for "why's poignant guide to ruby", currently mirrored here: http://mislav.uniqpath.com/poignant-guide/book/chapter-1.htm...

Re: _why's site is updated

#48

Post by michaelhoffman » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:31 PM UTC

donaldguy wrote: post #36

michaelhoffman wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who are "the haters?"

Mostly people who were understandably pissed off that along with wiping out his blogs, twitter, etc., he took down his github and abandoned his projects without helping to oversee a transition of stewardship. This included a few high-profile rubyists. And then presumably also some people who always thought his whimsy was a detriment to the ruby community (by making it seem less professional or something). (Not my opi…

Are there a substantial number of "haters" who have stated that Ruby is better with _why gone? It seems like a straw man.

Re: _why's site is updated

#49

Post by jrabone » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:37 PM UTC

milesf wrote: post #27

I've had April 18th in my calendar for weeks after the initial activity at whytheluckystiff.net. Forget the haters, Ruby's better with _why around.

Yeah, because the scene totally needs more drama to distract us from the latest Bitcoin / Mtgox debacle...

Re: _why's site is updated

#50

Post by milesf » Fri, Apr 12, 2013, 9:38 PM UTC

Amazing that a guy who disappeared almost 4 years ago can make it to the top of Hacker News, more than a few times, just by an obscure change to a basically defunct website.

I think it's pretty safe to say people love why the lucky stiff. He's funny, provocative, mysterious, strange, smart, creative... how could anyone _not_ want to see him back? We need more men & women in the world like _why.