# Aw Snap! We are crappy programmers! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2011, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241 "2011-10-01T09:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/21 "2011-10-01T19:25:40Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > While I like a lot of things about Chrome, I most certainly do not like the hip-hop language message when if fucks up. Fuck you. You are writing software that will be used by people besides knappy-headed teenagers. Some of your users might even be fucking ADULTS. Wassup wit dat, G? Aw Snap! is hip hop? I need to un-nap my hair and get with the streets. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/22 "2011-10-01T20:44:55Z")
Ah snap! is so 1992. If it’s still getting traction today, don’t blame (k)nappy-headed people. Blame the stringy-haired ones. They’re probably the only ones who still use this turn of phrase, while the (k)nappy-headed ones are inventing terminology your lame-ass hasn’t even heard yet. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/23 "2011-10-02T14:42:46Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Aw Snap! is hip hop? I need to un-nap my hair and get with the streets. Oh no you di’n’t. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/24 "2011-10-02T15:43:55Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Is it now racist to refer to distinguishing physical characteristics of a particular race? Well, a guy got fired for it… Did I really finally woosh someone? ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/25 "2011-10-05T19:21:02Z")
Search the term “nappy headed” and you’ll find quite a lot of debate as to whether it is an acceptable or insulting term. FWIW, the term “ **k** nappy headed ho” is definitely meant to be insulting: [Urban Dictionary: Knappy Headed Ho](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Knappy%20Headed%20Ho) I’m not comfortable with the OPer’s use of the term in his post–made me squirm when I read it. I hope he’ll rethink the use of it and edit his OP. As for the rest of the Pitting, the first time I saw the “Aw, snap!” message, I thought my computer had been hijacked. Didn’t think it was funny then, now I find it lame. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/26 "2011-10-05T19:37:56Z")
Aw Snap! The OP done be 4 days past the editing date! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/27 "2011-10-05T20:25:03Z")
You people who are using chrome and got freaked out about the error message, go back to safe ol’ IE, or maybe even netscape. The “aw snap” message is delightfully anachronistic and charming. If you think any significant portion of the “hip hop” community or any other youth actually use this term, I invite you to spend a few days at a public high school. Would you guys be as equally offended if chrome said “Golly-gee willacker! There was an error!” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/28 "2011-10-05T20:28:18Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Oh no you di’n’t. Oh yes he did. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/29 "2011-10-07T23:34:15Z")
They should have made it “Aw chasquido!” … nobody doesn’t love a fugitive Joy Hickey/Turner. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Goliath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rex\_Goliath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Goliath)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/30 "2011-10-08T00:02:38Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > You people Whattya mean, “you people”? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/31 "2011-10-08T14:04:38Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Agreed. But this has nothing to do with the nappiness of their hair. :dubious: Person A: Those slanty-eyed bastards are baby killers. Person B: What a racist thing to say! Person A: What, is “slanty-eyed” bad to say? Person B: It’s racist to imply that a particular ethnic group is entirely composed of baby killers. Person A: I didn’t say it was because of their eyes. Ya. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/32 "2011-10-08T14:10:18Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > You people who are using chrome and got freaked out about the error message, go back to safe ol’ IE, or maybe even netscape. The “aw snap” message is delightfully anachronistic and charming. If you think any significant portion of the “hip hop” community or any other youth actually use this term, I invite you to spend a few days at a public high school. Would you guys be as equally offended if chrome said “Golly-gee willacker! There was an error!” You know another program that tried to be all cutesy with its error messages? Microsoft Bob. It’s a well accepted aspect of programming that one does not try to be cutsie with important messages. Even Google knows it–the number of such messages that they use has gotten smaller and smaller over the years. It’s pretty simple logic. People may get offended by the stupid stuff, but even the people like that stuff aren’t going to be offended if you are just serious. Unless your goal is niche appeal, sooner or later it will be advantageous to appeal the masses. It’s especially weird when Chrome is so governed by popularity: not even the most useful features will go in unless a large number of people star it. It’s funny that they think a lot of people actually go and read their bug reports. They’re appealing only to those people who are heavily invested and would use Chrome regardless. Though I will admit that the error message is far from strongest reason to not like Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/33 "2011-10-08T14:22:24Z")
> [@Mince](#): > > It seems to me that appealing to current culture, your likely audience, is pretty _smart_ programming and that what is crappy is the old, bitter cuss that doesn’t undertand that. What’s wrong with something like “We’re sorry, but an error has occurred”? Something clear and concise. It’s not the place for jokey responses that may make people think they have malware or something. It’s not the place for colloquialisms that may confuse people from other cultures or generations. Mass market software should be comprehensible to anyone of normal intelligence. Deliberately excluding people just because you immaturely consider them to be “bitter”, “old”, and “cussed” makes you sound pretty bitter and cussed yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/34 "2011-10-08T14:39:24Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > Whattya mean, “you people”? What do \*\*you \*\*mean, you people? I gotta echo monstro: if you hear people still saying ‘aw snap’, blame the stringy headed, not the nappy headed, The last time I remember using the phrase unironically had to be 20 years ago. And for the record, I think the common phrase was “Oh, snap”. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/35 "2011-10-08T14:49:31Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > Oh yes he did. Oh yes _she_ did! ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/36 "2011-10-09T09:42:57Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > While I like a lot of things about Chrome, I most certainly do not like the hip-hop language message when if fucks up. Fuck you. You are writing software that will be used by people besides knappy-headed teenagers. Some of your users might even be fucking ADULTS. Wassup wit dat, G? Your outrage is about fifteen years too late. Browser authors have been coding exactly this sort of Easter egg (that is, returning some catchphrase from black American culture in response to an error condition) as far back as Netscape Navigator 3. That browser would display messages such as “Whatchew talkin’ 'bout, Willis?” and “Homey don’t play dat!” if you tried to visit certain unrecognized URIs. Chrome is probably just carrying on the tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/37 "2011-10-09T10:55:23Z")
Unconfirmed rumours suggest that Chrome will be incorporating [this](http://images.cryhavok.org/v/Negro+Community+Frowns.jpg.html) error message in future releases. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/38 "2011-10-09T16:13:35Z")
This sounds like it would be a perfect use of that new racial profiling app I’m developing for the iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/39 "2011-10-09T16:22:42Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Oh yes _she_ did! Well, your user name is so gender unspecific. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241/40 "2011-10-09T18:06:07Z")
I agree, it is a stupid error message. I’m going to learn how to write Chrome extensions just to make one that replaces “Oh Snap!” with “Nigga Please!”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aw-snap-we-are-crappy-programmers/598241.md?page=3)