Author Topic: /whatis pretense  (Read 10745 times)

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Offline pxc

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/whatis pretense
« on: March 04, 2008, 01:45:39 am »
Hey. I'm not really sure how to approach this community or what it's all about. In fact, the first impression I have of this community is the apparent effort with which newbies approach the introduction thread ("Look at me, I'm a quirky nerd with skillz!"). Anyhow, I stumbled upon the place while searching up on Battle.net bot technology and Battle.net chat documentation (I just found out that the bnet-gaim (Pidgin, now) project is still active, and so was trying to see if there would be any way for me to contribute). I read a couple of threads, and it seems that despite the usual nastiness, arrogance, and pretentious rank and order that manages to manifest in all internet communities, there are some genuinely knowledgeable users here that I'd like to learn from.

As for me, I'm just an "IB" high school student engaged in a thriving (although a bit kinky) romantic, polyamorous relationship with language, philosophy, and my computer. I play some video games, but I'm not particularly great at anything. I have something of a first-person-shooter skill deficit, as when I was a child my parents disallowed me from playing violent video games, but I do enjoy real time strategy games and an occasional round of two of Counter-Strike or Tremulous. I'm an active member of the FOSS movement, despite my lack of experience as a programmer and lack of time as a student. I've been a Linux user for a few years now and a Gentoo user for around a year, although I'm waiting to throw it on this computer until 2008.0 comes out, because I can't pass up an excuse to procrastinate.

I enjoy a lot of music, but very little modern and popular music. I tend to be a fan of folksy music, particularly Irish folk, hardcore punk-rock and other punk variants, and alternative rock, but I occasionally venture into rap/hip-hop, country, and even pop, and I'll probably listen to anything once. I have a Last.FM (formerly Audioscrobbler) profile if you're interested at all. I'm currently studying French, so if anybody wants to practice speaking or writing it, I don't mind playing with you.

I maintain a few blogs, as well.
  • The Free Thinkers' Club at my local high school. Originally a reaction to religious clubs on campus, under (my) new leadership this year, it has grown to become the school's philosophy club and ethical thinktank, if I'm feeling arrogant.
  • Sing, my personal writing blog and a favorite hobby of mine (the actual act of singing as well as posting to the blog). It's more or less the biohazard bin for my teen angst with some occasionally good writing.
  • /dev/pxc, a cheesily named technical blog of mine, still in its infancy (only a single post).
I'm an active member in FBLA and again, an IB student at my local high school. I host biannual LAN parties for around eighteen of my friends or so, where we play Warcraft III, Starcraft, Counter-Strike: Source, and occasionally Tremulous. One of my buddies is the lead Dystopia (Half-life 2/Source Engine mod) developer, so we'll be adding that to the list, soon. With the recent release of Nexuiz 2.4, that will soon be added to the list.

As a side note, for my IB mathematics project, I have to do something involving statistics, and I'll be setting up my own PvPGN (Battle.net emulator) server in a week or so and use ladder statistics from Warcraft III/Starcraft games (I'm currently considering analyzing game economy: the efficacy of early expansion, how much money should be invested in defending an expansion before it's not worth it, what population is optimal for a defensible society that also has a strong source of income, etc). If you're at all interested in participating (you just have to tell me a few things about yourself, and use one account for each strategy you choose to employ), contact me.

PS: I also occasionally (and by that I mean rarely, as I have no constant source of income) play WoW.

Edit: Ah, yes!

1337 Skillz (braggery):
I have some experience with programming, although most of you would say it's with a woman language (Java). In that I have taken two college level courses. I've additionally taken a course in networking at DeVry (sponsored by Cisco--hey, it was free), and one in Linux/Unix system administration (introductory level, mostly BASH scripting). I also made a Tetris clone one time. Yay me.

Recently, I placed at a national competition with FBLA in Network Design. The winners from the 2007 NLC are posted online, if you're interested (I don't particularly care to give my full name out, though). You can look it up if you want to.

--Patrick C.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2008, 12:18:44 am by pxc »

Offline Krazed

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2008, 09:17:47 am »
Hm. I wouldn't quite say the people here will think Java isn't a good language to be using, afterall JavaOp and a few other projects around here are obviously written in Java.  :P Strong first post though, you seem like a good guy to have around.
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Offline iago

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2008, 09:31:28 am »
Java has its place in the world, just like most other languages. :)

Offline Towelie

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2008, 04:21:42 pm »
Do you go to a private school?

Offline Sidoh

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2008, 04:24:34 pm »
Hi, welcome to x86.

Java has its place in the world, just like most other languages. :)

Yeah, I definitely agree.

Offline Warrior

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2008, 04:27:25 pm »
I'd rather see someone using Java than see someone using C or even C++.
Don't get me wrong, if used correctly C/C++ are both beautiful languages...but the problem is that
when you get into the more complex projects it becomes harder to maintain that beauty and elegance.

Personally, for unmanaged programming I'm really looking into D. I think the only potential issues with it are
how the language is relatively young, and what seems to be a fork between two versions of the run time.
One must ask oneself: "do I will trolling to become a universal law?" And then when one realizes "yes, I do will it to be such," one feels completely justified.
-- from Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Trolling

Offline d&q

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2008, 10:03:53 pm »
Do you go to a private school?

Hm, I wasn't aware that private schools have the IB program. If they did, I would expect it would be very expensive.
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Offline Joe

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2008, 10:28:21 pm »
Welcome to x86. I can already tell you're going to fit in pretty well! :)

A lot of us are programmers, and a lot of us know Java. It was the first "real" language I learned (that is, other than VB). I prefer C# now, but it was a pretty useful (and very masculine) language.

About gaim-bnet, I don't think anyone around here was involved in that. We all seem to have gone our separate directions on preferred bots. iago wrote JavaOp, I wrote Felbot (but due to never supporting WC3, I use Stealthbot), and others have made projects of their own that I'll leave to them.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2008, 10:30:58 pm by Joe »
I'd personally do as Joe suggests

You might be right about that, Joe.


Offline pxc

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #8 on: March 04, 2008, 11:06:45 pm »
On Gaim-Bnet: I see. I know that the developers have begun looking at the Bnet documentation kept up by vL. I'll see if I can learn anything helpful for that here.

Java is also my first language and perhaps relatedly, I know very little about memory management. As for the manliness of Java, I must say that this fine specimen of a Tetris clone is nearly overwhelmingly masculine. P for pause, space bar for insta-drop, up to flip, and left and right to move the things around.

Offline leet_muffin

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #9 on: March 04, 2008, 11:54:24 pm »
hardcore punk-rock

Knock the -rock part off of that and you're good! =)
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fuck allfo you i dont give a fuck ill fight everyone of you fuck that sbhit fuck you

Offline pxc

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2008, 12:21:29 am »
As punk was essentially a reaction to mainstream rock, I don't make a distinction between punk and punk-rock. What do the terms mean to you?

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2008, 09:08:43 am »
IBO RUINED MY LIFE! (not really but for awhile I thought it did.)

Offline iago

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2008, 09:47:27 am »
About gaim-bnet, I don't think anyone around here was involved in that.
I actually did some work on that, more from the advice angle than from the programming angle. If you look at their mailing list you'll see some emails from me (possibly under my real name, Ron).

Offline leet_muffin

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2008, 04:25:25 pm »
As punk was essentially a reaction to mainstream rock, I don't make a distinction between punk and punk-rock. What do the terms mean to you?


Well, to me, hardcore punk is a good bit different from punkrock.

Hardcore punk bands:
Cryptic Slaughter
Toxic Narcotics
Down Again
Take Offense
Black Flag

Punk rock bands:
Green Day
=(.

The douchebag method:
fuck allfo you i dont give a fuck ill fight everyone of you fuck that sbhit fuck you

Offline d&q

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2008, 08:08:13 pm »
Except Green Day doesn't qualify as music.
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Offline Ender

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #15 on: March 05, 2008, 08:24:17 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

Offline pxc

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #16 on: March 05, 2008, 08:32:55 pm »
As punk was essentially a reaction to mainstream rock, I don't make a distinction between punk and punk-rock. What do the terms mean to you?


Well, to me, hardcore punk is a good bit different from punkrock.

Hardcore punk bands:
Cryptic Slaughter
Toxic Narcotics
Down Again
Take Offense
Black Flag

Punk rock bands:
Green Day
=(.



I see. When I hear the phrase, punk-rock makes me think of more modern iterations of punk, and just "punk" makes me think of older, "classic" punk.

IBO RUINED MY LIFE! (not really but for awhile I thought it did.)

Yeah. Well... I hate the IBO with an all-consuming passion and I'm only in my junior year. Somebody deserves to die in a fire for the dirty trick they pulled on me when they told me what IB "is".

Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

I'm not against pop music because its popular. The word "pop" has a certain sound associated with it, and I don't like that sound very much. The other thing is that since popular music (which right now, where I live, consists pop and rap/hip-hop) is played everywhere there's no reason for me to actively seek it on my own time--I hear enough of it elsewhere.

Offline Warrior

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #17 on: March 05, 2008, 08:40:37 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

you mean sort of like when you emulate my actions?

if not clarify
One must ask oneself: "do I will trolling to become a universal law?" And then when one realizes "yes, I do will it to be such," one feels completely justified.
-- from Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Trolling

Offline pxc

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2008, 08:41:31 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

you mean sort of like when you emulate my actions?

if not clarify

Are you guys brothers or something (does he actually emulate your actions?) or are you just teasing?

Offline Warrior

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #19 on: March 05, 2008, 08:46:07 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

you mean sort of like when you emulate my actions?

if not clarify

Are you guys brothers or something (does he actually emulate your actions?) or are you just teasing?

no, not brothers.
he does try to be like me, it's quite flattering to be honest
One must ask oneself: "do I will trolling to become a universal law?" And then when one realizes "yes, I do will it to be such," one feels completely justified.
-- from Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Trolling

Offline Ender

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2008, 10:06:16 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

you mean sort of like when you emulate my actions?

if not clarify

Are you guys brothers or something (does he actually emulate your actions?) or are you just teasing?

no, not brothers.
he does try to be like me, it's quite flattering to be honest

lol warrior

i would never want to be that ugly

Offline Warrior

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Re: /whatis pretense
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2008, 10:51:36 pm »
Why is everyone so against pop music?

It's like you're falling into the same trap you're trying to avoid... following the trend. The trend, in your case, which is the only trend that matters to you, is to not listen to pop music!

you mean sort of like when you emulate my actions?

if not clarify

Are you guys brothers or something (does he actually emulate your actions?) or are you just teasing?

no, not brothers.
he does try to be like me, it's quite flattering to be honest

lol warrior

i would never want to be that ugly

you should practice more, you don't do a really good impression of me.
One must ask oneself: "do I will trolling to become a universal law?" And then when one realizes "yes, I do will it to be such," one feels completely justified.
-- from Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Trolling