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p4bl0
Awesome.

I'd love to know if the guy used it for real and if so, how did he reacts when his/her prof asked for explaination about how the code works :-D.

derrida
The problem is either the student or the teacher and I wouldn't rule out the teacher if a student couldn't manage to write a program as simple as that.
bricestacey
This is a cruel joke.
mavelikara
Now, imagine what a job interview with this guy would be like.
user24
A similar story is on reddit right now - http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/hc9uf/homework_...

I have to say, I don't really see the humour in these sort of replies. It's not very polite or constructive, it's the sort of thing which could turn people away from programming, and makes geeks/programmers look bad. It's pretty antisocial. Why not spend the time actually helping the guy? Instead of showing off or taking the piss...

So I'm flagging this. I don't think encouraging this sort of behaviour does anyone any good.

leftnode
It's because usually these posts devolve into "do my homework for me" and the OP isn't interested in learning anything. In some universities, an intro to programming course is required for everyone now. The kids who know how to program aren't posting these questions, it's the students who are required to take the course for some other reason.

If the OP of the article posted some of his sample code, I could see helping him out more, but not just saying "I've tried and am giving up."

I agree it can be antisocial, but it's pretty humorous to me the response shows how creative programming can be.

d_r
If the story is in fact real, I would say the student's "fault" here is in not going a bit farther than "oh my god, I just can't get it to work."

He/she could have written:

(1) What have they tried

(2) What errors were they getting (Compiler errors are ROUGH for someone just starting to code. That trivial missing semicolon can waste hours.)

(3) What ideas they might pursue to get it working

I've taught programming to several friends in the past (and I've also seen many other friends drop out of CS in frustration.) It seems that teaching just how to formulate such questions and walk through "what exactly does not work" is a critical step to CS education that is omitted in curricula out there.

user24
Absolutely, and a reply to that effect would have been very helpful to the student in question, and to those following the conversation.
pestaa
Here is the original version decrypted:

    int main (void) {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
        int z;

        for(z = 0023541 / 0006441 / 0001321 / 0003221 / 0003741;
            z < 0001321;
            putchar(z % 011 + z / 011 > 0023541 / 0006441 && z % 
                011 + z / 011 < 0023541 / 0001321 && z / 
                011 < z % 011 + 0023541 / 0003221 && z / 011 
                > z % 011 - 0023541 / 0003741 ? '*' : ' '),
            z % 011 - 011 + 1 || putchar ('\n'),
            z++
        );

        putchar('\n');

        {{{{{{{{{{{
            return 0023541 / 0006441 / 0001321 / 0003221 / 0003741;
        }}}}}}}}}}}
    }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Makes a good reading on its own, right? I can't imagine the effort put into the ASCII art. Truly amazing.
bruce511
The answer was clearly written by a consultant, not a programmer. I can tell this because;

a) The answer was technically, completely, correct.

b) The answer did not tell the question-asker anything they did not already know.

c) The answer is completely useless.

On a more serious note though - sure programmers look at this and have a giggle, everyone else just goes "huh?". To be fair though this is what a "normal" answer sounds like to a non-programmer.

random42
When I look back when I started amateur programming, I am truly grateful of the community of awesome folks, which always responded in humble and encouraging manner. It was my first interaction to the brotherhood of programmers.. and it felt great to be a part of something, which is so big, unselfish and humbling.

Sometimes it is easy to forget what it is to be a newbie. It is tough! and such nonconstructive replies are truly disheartening.

He could have said a helpful response (NOT the answer) in 10% of the time he spent in constructing the "joke" solution.

shubble
I love the response. Anyone compiled it? What does the weird return code do?