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Grokking

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Re: Grokking

#11

Post by lloeki »

layer8 wrote: post #7
roomey wrote: post #5

Did this originate in "stranger in a strange land"? I assumed it did, but so many references to grokking don't mention the book (which goes into great detail about what it means)

Where else would it come from? It’s just using the normal meaning of “to grok” [0] (or its present participle), which is a well-known term of hacker jargon [1]. [0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grok [1] https://foldoc.org/grok

These definitions feel somewhat limited, compared to the jargon file entry[0]

    grok: /grok/, /grohk/, vt.

    [common; from the novel Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein, where it is a Martian word meaning literally ‘to drink’ and metaphorically ‘to be one with’] The emphatic form is grok in fullness.
    
    1. To understand. Connotes intimate and exhaustive knowledge. When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or technique, you are asserting that you have not merely learned it in a detached instrumental way but that it has become part of you, part of your identity. For example, to say that you “know” LISP is simply to assert that you can code in it if necessary — but to say you “grok” LISP is to claim that you have deeply entered the world-view and spirit of the language, with the implication that it has transformed your view of programming. Contrast zen, which is similar supernal understanding experienced as a single brief flash. See also glark.
    
    2. Used of programs, may connote merely sufficient understanding. “Almost all C compilers grok the void type these days.”
[0]: http://catb.org/jargon/html/G/grok.html

Re: Grokking

#12

Post by ysavir »

lloeki wrote: post #11
layer8 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where else would it come from? It’s just using the normal meaning of “to grok” [0] (or its present participle), which is a well-known term of hacker jargon [1]. [0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grok [1] https://foldoc.org/grok

These definitions feel somewhat limited, compared to the jargon file entry[0] grok: /grok/, /grohk/, vt. [common; from the novel Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein, where it is a Martian word meaning literally ‘to drink’ and metaphorically ‘to be one with’] The emphatic form is grok in fullness. 1. To understand. Connotes intimate and exhaustive knowledge. When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or tec…

Thank you for sharing this! I used to use Grok incorrectly before reading Stranger in a Strange Land and now lament that the intended meaning is so poorly understood. While I can appreciate the irony that people don't grok grok, I guess I have to acknowledge that language evolves and generalizes, and not even Heinlein, providing a fairly original word and concept, is exempt from that effect.

Re: Grokking

#13

Post by dgorges »

Slightly off topic, but I found this in the html source (not only in this article, seems to be on every page):

Re: Grokking

#15

Post by borner791 »

bilvar wrote: post #9

I hate this word with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

In 10 years as a "professional" I've never heard it until the last 6 months. I'm EE so different circles, but closer to pure SW people in those last 6 months.

I'm not a fan.. I don't know why.

Re: Grokking

#16

Post by what-the-grump »

borner791 wrote: post #15
bilvar wrote: post #9

I hate this word with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

In 10 years as a "professional" I've never heard it until the last 6 months. I'm EE so different circles, but closer to pure SW people in those last 6 months. I'm not a fan.. I don't know why.

Likely because it’s from an old book that few in the gen xyz have read. It’s been transformed to mean ‘understand’ and it’s pretentious to use in regular settings.

I’m a fan of the movie Kin-dza-dza it doesn’t make it acceptable for me to walk around saying ‘Ku’ to strangers.

Re: Grokking

#17

Post by bgro »

what-the-grump wrote: post #16
borner791 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 10 years as a "professional" I've never heard it until the last 6 months. I'm EE so different circles, but closer to pure SW people in those last 6 months. I'm not a fan.. I don't know why.

Likely because it’s from an old book that few in the gen xyz have read. It’s been transformed to mean ‘understand’ and it’s pretentious to use in regular settings. I’m a fan of the movie Kin-dza-dza it doesn’t make it acceptable for me to walk around saying ‘Ku’ to strangers.

Glocking The Coding Interview

Re: Grokking

#18

Post by layer8 »

lloeki wrote: post #11
layer8 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where else would it come from? It’s just using the normal meaning of “to grok” [0] (or its present participle), which is a well-known term of hacker jargon [1]. [0] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/grok [1] https://foldoc.org/grok

These definitions feel somewhat limited, compared to the jargon file entry[0] grok: /grok/, /grohk/, vt. [common; from the novel Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein, where it is a Martian word meaning literally ‘to drink’ and metaphorically ‘to be one with’] The emphatic form is grok in fullness. 1. To understand. Connotes intimate and exhaustive knowledge. When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or tec…

The Foldoc entry is actually from an older version of the Jargon file. Foldoc used to be an expanded version of the Jargon file, maybe that has somewhat become reversed in the meantime.

Re: Grokking

#19

Post by borner791 »

bgro wrote: post #17
what-the-grump wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likely because it’s from an old book that few in the gen xyz have read. It’s been transformed to mean ‘understand’ and it’s pretentious to use in regular settings. I’m a fan of the movie Kin-dza-dza it doesn’t make it acceptable for me to walk around saying ‘Ku’ to strangers.

Glocking The Coding Interview

That'll get you a call from HR

Re: Grokking

#20

Post by jccalhoun »

bilvar wrote: post #9

I hate this word with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

A non-techy podcast I listen to has a host that says "grok" regularly and it drives me crazy. Just say you "get" it like a normal person.
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