Artlung
artlung.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2009
Personal site of a web developer that hosts humor and tech essays, including the satirical 'Invention of C++' interview and 'Cryptonomicon' text.
What HN saysHN links it for the fake Stroustrup interview, which commenters say always makes them smile, and for the Neal Stephenson essay on command lines.
18HN people shared it
11linked it in comments
8stories submitted
78story points
11 months agolast shared
2009people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1In the Beginning Was the Command Line8 people · 11 points · first shared 2009 · 1 comments on HN
- 2The Invention of C++7 people · 65 points · first shared 2009 · 15 comments on HN
- 3The Web is Better, Part 21 people · 1 points · first shared 2024 · discussion on HN
- 4Life HAPPENS (a talk on open source maintaining)1 people · 1 points · first shared 2025 · discussion on HN
- 5Invention%5Fof%5FCplusplus.shtml1 people · first shared 2013
- 6Gamification in the wild wells fargo badge earned1 people · first shared 2012
What HN people wrote when they linked it
jmcnevin · 2010-08-15
Oh really? I heard from a writer that emacs is the best word processor.
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml
peralmq · 2017-12-21
Feel like I have to share this hilarious fake interview with Stroustroup (creator of C++) here http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/Invention_of_Cplusplus.shtml
taspeotis · 2013-11-30
I think this story sits one below "The Invention of C++" [1] on /r/forwardsfromgrandma
[1] http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/Invention_of_Cplusplus.shtml
wsc981 · 2013-10-10
This (admittedly fake) interview with Bjarne always makes me smile: http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/Invention%5Fof%5FCplusplus.shtml
keithpeter · 2012-09-01
I liked the analogy, but I think Neal Stephenson did the definitive one...
Search in page for "MGBs, TANKS, AND BATMOBILES" at
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml
Stratoscope · 2012-05-13
The most bizarre bit of gamification I've run across lately was in Wells Fargo's ATMs. I deposited a check the other day and got an alert on the ATM screen:
You've earned a new badge
Express Depositor
[Learn More]
Well! That should certainly help me gain status and reputation among my fellow ATM users!
Photo here: http://artlung.com/blog/2012/05/03/gamification-in-the-wild-wells-farg…
kqr2 · 2011-08-06
A nice essay on this topic by Neal Stephenson.
In the Beginning was the Command Line
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml
ekidd · 2010-12-08
I don't know anyone who would ever write a manuscript as collection of text files.
I know of two professional writers who use Emacs.
Neal Stephenson: If you are a professional writer--i.e., if someone else is getting paid to worry about how your words are formatted and printed--emacs outshines all other editing software in approximately the same way that the noonday sun does the stars.
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml
Vernor Vinge also uses Emacs, and RCS for version control:
http://www.norwescon.org/archives/norwescon33/vingeinterview.htm
I'm under the impression that many fiction writers work with straight, unformatted text.
shimfish · 2010-11-14
In related news, C++ was invented to increase programmers' salaries:
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/Invention_of_Cplusplus.shtml
alanh · 2010-07-16
Well, Bjarne Stroustrup has a rant on C++! But it’s not actually pro C++. (It’s also fictional, but a very amusing read.)
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/Invention_of_Cplusplus.shtml
angusgr · 2009-08-07
Thanks for referencing that, I'd never actually heard of it:
http://artlung.com/smorgasborg/C_R_Y_P_T_O_N_O_M_I_C_O_N.shtml