http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=478175

Can we quantify Perl crackpots?

I heard about the Crackpot Index on last week's This American Life. John Baez (a mathematical physicist) uses it to rate "potentially revolutionary contributions to physics" such as proofs that special relativity is misguided, and so on. Assign yourself points for each statement that describes your theory. The more points you get, the more loony you are.

For example,

Some of the more general statements might apply to Perl (or programming, really).

Can we expand the list? I know Perl has had it share of cranks (maybe more than other languages?) and they usually are loony in the same way. Without assigning absolute points (we'd have to rank things against each other and we don't have the whole list yet), what's on Perl's list? Note, a perfectly reasonable project or idea might match a couple points, but that doesn't make it loony. A true loon with match many points at the same time.

Okay gentle monks, have at it. I'll compile the list later and we can then assign points to it. Maybe someone can even turn it into a little online quiz.

--
brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>