Your coming into a forum or an IRC channel, you ask a simple question, yet uncommon. and people are screaming. “Stop, Don’t do it!”, “it’s evil”, “these are bad programming practices, prove me you can’t do without”. And such, before you had time to say more than two lines.
But why is everyone trying to preach absolutely nothing without knowing a thing. They have no clue what I am working on. What would I do with this bit of information and what particular problem I’m trying to solve. but yet, they know it’s evil and I should not do it. Hell, I’m not even sure what I’m gonna do yet. I’m looking for different solutions. What exactly is evil? I have not thought of anything yet.
for people who know C and used to pointer basics have a quick look at the following example.
void foo(&var) {
var = 42;
}
x = 0;
printf("%d\n", x);
foo(x);
printf("%d\n", x);
I was simply asking if passing a variable by reference in such a way would also be possible in [Ruby](http://ruby-lang.org). I have been refered, among other things, to an excellent page documenting [Ruby bindings](http://onestepback.org/index.cgi/Tech/Ruby/RubyBindings.rdoc/style/print). I am not sure yet if bindings is the only way to go in order to achieve something as simple as this. but what I do know, though: “ITS EVIL”…
actually, I knew Ruby bindings before. But I wanted to use something simpler, more embedded into the syntax. I thought hearing something different, more C-like that I could use. but getting actual help through all the flames was a challenge on its own. so it’s all I got.
yet, I’m not sure I’ll use it for my particular problem, for one, I was looking for something different and for two, well, its EVIL apprently. And god knows I don’t do EVIL ;)
I got another example, this one happen few months ago. I’m heading into the ruby channel again asking for a ruby+japanese related questions. no anwser, total silent. I figured nobody knows as they are almost all english and don’t deal with japanese stuff. but since Ruby programming language in born in Japan and the japanese community is quite active, I thought asking in Japanese. suddenly I got an answer.
the first one, in japanese was simply answering my question. politely and perfectly. the second one? just english screaming. “This is an english channel, talk in english, this is not a japanese or internation channel, stop, its EVIL.”
god, what the hell. you use computers and ruby you should at least appreciate the multi-cultural side the internet offers us. well, he was probably scared I was flaming about his grand-mother. what else could I think?
anyone has a decent explanation for such behavours? am I the one who is weird/wrong?
Tags bindings, c, evil, irc, people, ruby, world
