Walter did yo realy go Ohhhh?

[Georg Wrede]

PatrickD wrote:
> http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/06/rhinos-and-tigers.html

I've read a number of his previous rants, and I've generally found them 
interesting, informative, and thought provoking. Sometimes even 
entertaining. This one was an exception.

> <Steve Yegge> He told me the other day, [talking about] one of my
> blog rants, that he didn't agree with the point that I'd made that
> virtual machines are "obvious". You know? I mean, of course you use a
> virtual machine!
> 
> But he's a compiler dude, and he says they're a sham, they're a
> farce, "I don't get it!" And so I explained it [my viewpoint] to him,
> and he went: Ohhhhhhh. </Steve Yegge>

The above story, and the fact that he goes on ranting irrespective of 
the slide sequence, the fact that he blatantly generalizes, derides, 
self-promotes, the fact that the transcript includes the superfluous 
interjections from spoken language, that he cavalierly exaggerates, and 
some other details -- collectively lead me to think he's, ehhh, in an 
"accelerated state of mind".

There are basically a few different ways to achieve that state of mind 
(of which I'm not suggesting any, I'm merely enumerating the most usual 
ones here).

  - A speed trip.
  - The upper phase of bipolar syndrome.
  - A state of mind that can be deliberately achieved through repeated 
self-assertion and self-excitement.
  - The pre-onset stage of a nervous breakdown.
  - A basically "God, I'm good" mindset.

Now, I'm not saying it's any of these, but it sure looks like it. But 
enough of that.

---

What especially made me glad here was (yet another) "subliminal" 
advertisement for D. At least we get exposure.

PS, well, most of his blog readers are intelligent-wannabes, 
professional programmer-wannabes, and the readership of his blogs must 
be immense. The more controversial the blog, the more readers you get. A 
littel like tabloids, where you know that "The President escapes death" 
on the front page translates to "he almost stepped on a bee that could 
have stung him". Just take them with a truckload of salt. But D being 
mentioned there gets a lot of eyeballs. And the D related stuff was 
written with obvious respect for D! One really couldn't ask for anything 
better.