@ Larrik
It comes an goes in waves. People don't do much general convo here. It's usually only when somebody has some coding query that things start going.
42 is the answer to the question "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?"
The answer was given by Deep Thought, the greatest supercomputer in galactic history, after many eons of computation.
I can't remember if Deep Thought is the same as the Earth, which is also a galactic supercomputer, and which is about to be destroyed to make way for a new hyperspace bypass.
For more details read "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. (which is also where I purloined the title "The More Than Complete Code Complete" in that other silly thread.)
I thought it was required reading in Computer Science courses. If not it should be. (Larrik insists).
I knew that... playing along, tongue in cheek, I was. After Deep Thought came up with the ultimate answer, they realized that they forgot to come up with the ultimate question to complement that answer and it would take a couple more eons of computation to come up with that question.
But now that I had to explain it... the joke isn't funny anymore.
...and yes, I, too, believe that it should be required reading amongst our kind.
<blushes><runs away>
<comes back, blushes, starts to run away again, stops>
sorry, I should have known you knew that. In fact as I clicked "Post" I knew you'd know it. You know? I''m terribly sorry. No, really, I am. Awfully sorry. Well, OK, not THAT sorry. Just a feeling of mild regret really. I'm over it now actually...
Perhaps you're right - time to do some coding...
Neither have I (haven't seen the movie either). But for some strange reason I knew he was referring to it. Dunno why. REALLY BAFFLING! I guess it must be in my blood or something. All coders must be connected by that book in a biological way, even if they haven't read it.