The Hacker Folk Art of Esoteric Coding(thereader.mitpress.mit.edu)

88 pointsby sohkamyungvor 10 Monaten17 comments

thereader.mitpress.mit.edu

https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/the-hacker-folk-art-of-esoteric-coding/

17 comments

Ok this part is prescient:

"The parody language INTERCAL was revived as C-INTERCAL, where one literally pleads with the interpreter to run their cryptic code."

xpointervor 10 Monaten

Also, the code for the original INTERCAL-72 compiler was recently re-discovered: https://esoteric.codes/blog/published-for-the-first-time-the...

bryanrasmussenvor 10 Monaten

hmm, this sounds like a job for vibe coding!

euroderfvor 10 Monaten

"ChatGPT, write me an INTERCAL compiler in INTERCAL. Take your time."

lrobinovitchvor 10 Monaten

Also linked in the article, https://esolangs.org is worth a read if this is up your alley

lifthrasiirvor 10 Monaten

That wiki also comes with a funny CAPTCHA:

> Which number does this Befunge code output: 9731231181>\#+:#*9-#\_$.@

Duanemclemorevor 10 Monaten

The FOC podcast folks released an episode on a paper (they didn't like) on esolangs just today. [0] Their episode on INTERCAL is an all-time classic.

I'm also excited for my copy of Temkin's book to arrive!

[0] https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-take-esoteric-pro...

xpointervor 10 Monaten

The FOC podcast is super fun and they end up discussing a few esolangs from the Forty-Four Esolangs book (Entropy, FatFinger). I'm also on a podcast about the book with Sam Arbseman (author of Magic of Code): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daniel-temkin-on-esote...

Duanemclemorevor 10 Monaten

Hello sir! I found out about esoteric.codes from FOC a while ago, have read most of what's on there since. Honestly surprised Steve (or early days with Ivan) never had you as a guest / interviewee. So I'll definitely check this one out. Congrats on what looks like an amazing book, can't wait until I get to read it.

Thank you for bringing an underappreciated corner of computing to people's attention!

xpointervor 10 Monaten

Thanks! It's so nice that esolangs are starting to get wider appreciation as a cultural form.

ashu1461vor 10 Monaten

Reminds be of how people use typescript types like a hidden programming language making calculators etc.

h4ch1vor 10 Monaten

Also: TypeScript types can run DOOM [video] (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43184291)

untrimmedvor 10 Monaten

This completely reframes coding from a tool to a medium. It's less about computation and more about... encoded philosophy?

emoIIvor 10 Monaten

It seems the link to the minesweeper paper is broken, anyone know the title/has an alternate link?

dubyavor 10 Monaten

My guess is Richard Kaye, "Minesweeper is NP-complete", but it's paywalled. Certainly the paper is listed somewhere on https://minesweepergame.com/math-papers.php

omoikanevor 10 Monaten

See also:

https://esoteric.codes/blog/forty-four-esolangs-an-artists-m...

The linked article is the preface to the book, and the book appears to be based on the collection of blog entries from https://esoteric.codes/

xpointervor 10 Monaten

Hi, I'm the author. Esoteric.codes is my blog on esolangs in general; the book is a collection of my esolangs in particular.

Also just to note that e.c had been on hold while I focused on the book, but I'm working on new posts, so please send anything new esolang-related my way!