# What were you THINKING? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2023, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532 "2023-10-13T19:36:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 118
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2341 "2024-04-16T21:04:54Z")
Yes, and I reported him for trolling. As a reminder for anyone inclined to engage with the troll, the Waffen SS engaged in mass rape, child sexual abuse, human experimentation, torture, and mass murder. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2342 "2024-04-16T21:18:25Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Yes, and I reported him for trolling. Oh, me too. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2343 "2024-04-16T21:20:27Z")
LHoD The comparison I made is based on some recent interpretation of the [German](https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nazi-imperialism-an-overview) expansion. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2344 "2024-04-16T21:25:36Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > As much as I’ve criticized Israel’s actions in this war, this is one I can wholeheartedly approve of. That’s how war _should_ be fought: go directly after the people committing the acts of violence against you. Yes, killing the people directly involved in brutal attacks is the best kind of warfare. I wish Israel had managed to attack him outside of a consulate (and an annex to a consulate is pretty much a consulate, as best as i can parse that) but i ain’t gonna weep over his death. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2345 "2024-04-16T21:34:24Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I think of my grandparents. My bubbe worked with computers in the FORTRAN days. Pardon me for intruding, young whippersnapper, but it wasn’t **that** long ago that FORTRAN was the most widely used language for scientific programming. And you wanna know the latest version of FORTRAN? For your information, young whippersnapper, it’s **[FORTRAN 2023](https://wg5-fortran.org/N2201-N2250/N2212.pdf)** [PDF] the specs for which were released in March of last year. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2346 "2024-04-16T21:38:51Z")
I stand by my words. “The FORTRAN days” unambiguously refers to a long time ago, especially _outside_ the context of scientific programming. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2347 "2024-04-16T22:04:08Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > “The FORTRAN days” unambiguously refers to a long time ago Not really, I find Python’s too slow for math. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2348 "2024-04-16T22:14:02Z")
You have to go pretty far back before “oh, do you all use FORTRAN?” is a reasonable reply to “I work with computers.” ~Max ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2349 "2024-04-16T23:42:45Z")
What? Forget about COBOL? My first job was programming COBOL and RPG. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2350 "2024-04-16T23:57:59Z")
…I read that in the voice of Anthony Daniels. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2351 "2024-04-17T00:18:18Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > **Crane** is over 90 years old. The context is helpful, but your remark - _I’m surprised someone that age can inline hyperlinks like that_ - is still a bit obnoxious, especially in isolation. Rephrasing it as, “I think Crane is 90; it’s impressive how well he’s kept up with technology” would have made the same point without sounding so disparaging. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2352 "2024-04-17T02:22:52Z")
(Checks forum) It was intentionally obnoxious. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2353 "2024-04-17T02:35:53Z")
@Max_S : I thought that even in the Pit, we insulted people based on their behavior, ideas, and beliefs - things they choose, in other words - not on their race, age, gender, or similar factors they have no control over. So, since you choose to demean people based on their age, I’m gonna go ahead say that your _behavior_ makes you an asshole. Yes, I’m being intentionally obnoxious. If you’d like to insult me in return, I’ll be glad to share details of my age, race, gender identity, and sex, to help you find your favorite way to denigrate me. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2354 "2024-04-17T02:43:21Z")
That’s been proven untrue. ``` Signed: an old hick biddy. ``` ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2355 "2024-04-17T03:01:47Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Iran’s response only injured a little girl, which is appalling. Any bombing so indiscriminate that it primarily injures children and other civilians should be met with full-throated condemnation. You get the irony in this, right? Or maybe my sarcasm meter isn’t reading right, because it’s the internet and all? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2356 "2024-04-17T03:05:11Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > You get the irony in this, right? I meant every implication of what I wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2357 "2024-04-17T03:38:32Z")
It wasn’t a mean-spirited insult. It was even part complement. Since when do Marquess of Queensbury rules prohibit poking fun at elders (or youngsters)? ~Max ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2358 "2024-04-17T05:34:05Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > It was intentionally obnoxious. > [@Max\_S](#): > > It wasn’t a mean-spirited insult. Your ability to simultaneously be “intentionally obnoxious” and not “mean spirited” is noted. And you misspelled “compliment.” ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2359 "2024-04-17T06:49:45Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Your ability to simultaneously be “intentionally obnoxious” and not “mean spirited” is noted. The obnoxious FORTRAN-hating youngster @Max_S’s contradiction is duly noted, as well as his belief that crass insults are **mandatory** in the Pit, and also said youngster’s attempt to teach me about computer history. > [@CairoCarol](#): > > And you misspelled “compliment.” Since the most common method of representing signed binary values in digital computers is called two’s complement, perhaps the youngster had that on the brain, and it may indeed be the only kind of compliment he’s ever known or deserved. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > What? Forget about COBOL? My first job was programming COBOL and RPG. COBOL is also still very much alive today, especially among governments and large institutions like banks. Probably even more so than FORTRAN is in scientific environments. IBM introduced Enterprise COBOL for z/OS 6.4 in May, 2022, but our young friend of obnoxious inclination might also see fit to refer to “the COBOL days” to imply that anyone with such experience must be a decrepit old geezer. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2024, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/2360 "2024-04-17T06:55:26Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > two’s complement, perhaps the youngster had that on the brain I did, in fact I’ve spent most of the evening finishing my port of an ancient PDP-1 program to a two’s complement architecture. ~Max [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=117) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532.md?page=119)