By the way, Ernest Hemingway once wrote a 6-word short story: For sale: baby shoes, never worn. Supposedly he called it his best work ever. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction
----- Original Message ----- From: Roger Hui <[email protected]> Date: Friday, June 10, 2011 9:27 Subject: Re: [Jprogramming] One word description of J To: Programming forum <[email protected]> > jtweet=: 0 : 0 > J is a programming language that works with > arrays, verbs, and adverbs. For example, > +/x computes the sum of array x and /:~x sorts it. > ) > > # jtweet > 138 > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dan Bron <[email protected]> > Date: Friday, June 10, 2011 9:12 > Subject: Re: [Jprogramming] One word description of J > To: 'Programming forum' <[email protected]> > > > > Why is the description restricted to one word? > > > > Why are haikus restricted to 17 syllables? > > > > Anyway, the contemporary version of the elevator pitch is a tweet. > > > > Can you capture J in 140 characters, or less? > > > > -Dan > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Roger Hui > > Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 11:31 AM > > To: Programming forum > > Subject: Re: [Jprogramming] One word description of J > > > > I think the premise of this discussion is flawed. > > Why is the description restricted to one word? > > > > There is an alternative, the "elevator conversation". > > You know, you've met a stranger in an elevator and you have > > to sell your idea during the elevator ride. What would you say? > > I've had some success using the +/x example. If there > > is more time it can easily extend into +/"r x . If there is > > more time still I might use avg=:+/%# and avg"r x . > > > > In January 2000, I was at the Iverson Software booth at the > > AMS meeting at Washing DC, http://keiapl.info/anec/#NSA1 > > giving people who dropped by 10 minute presentations on > > the computer. The presentation was later codified as the > > lab > > "An Idiosyncratic Introduction to J". Ken later expanded > > that > > into the lab "A J Introduction", 14 chapters of which the > first > > is the "Idiosyncratic Introduction". (Ken was so verbose!) > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Devon McCormick <[email protected]> > > Date: Friday, June 10, 2011 7:01 > > Subject: Re: [Jprogramming] One word description of J > > To: Programming forum <[email protected]> > > > > > My favorite adjective to describe J is "succinct". > > > However, the limitation > > > of this single word fails to capture other important > features > > of the > > > language such as its power and clean, careful, extensible design. > > > > > > Perhaps a more interesting exercise is to assemble a 30- > second > > > or a 5-minute > > > introduction to the language. My own attempt (introduced at > > > > > > http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/DevonMcCormick/LanguageSlapdown, > > > presentation.JPGs at > > > > > > http://www.jsoftware.com/jwiki/DevonMcCormick/PresentingJIn5Minutes)suffers> > from trying to cram too much into 5 minutes. I doubt more than one > > > person in a hundred would actually understand the bulk of > this talk. > > > > > > It's a lot more work than coming up with a single word, but > > the > > > J community > > > would benefit from having an arsenal of short presentations > > like this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
