15 lines
775 B
Plaintext
15 lines
775 B
Plaintext
larval stage
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n. Describes a period of monomaniacal concentration on coding apparently
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passed through by all fledgling hackers. Common symptoms include the
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perpetration of more than one 36-hour hacking run in a given week; neglect
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of all other activities including usual basics like food, sleep, and
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personal hygiene; and a chronic case of advanced bleary-eye. Can last from 6
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months to 2 years, the apparent median being around 18 months. A few so
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afflicted never resume a more normal life, but the ordeal seems to be
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necessary to produce really wizardly (as opposed to merely competent)
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programmers. See also wannabee. A less protracted and intense version of
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larval stage (typically lasting about a month) may recur when one is
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learning a new OS or programming language.
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