h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm guessing that the cave men we're thinking of were experinced programmers using an ancient lost version of C (pre ANSI). If so they no doubt would have developed the skill of counting from 0 not 1 (see any C manual and look at arrays if you're confused) Would they start counting their kills at 0? If they did wouldn't they be able to count 1024 kills? That 0th bufflow would make a huge difference in a cold November. Just a thought anyway.

You wrote:
I'm guessing that the cave men we're thinking of were experinced programmers using an ancient lost version of C (pre ANSI).

I wrote:
Pre-ANSI?!?!?!?! God, I hope not! At least give them a GUI! (and yes, GUIs carved in stone count, they're just not very interactive).

You wrote:
If so they no doubt would have developed the skill of counting from 0 not 1 (see any C manual and look at arrays if you're confused)

I wrote:
Actually, I'm familiar with C (and some C++), various Assemblers, Pascal, ForTran, Various BASICs, PHP, JavaScript, Lingo, ActionScript, etc., etc., etc., and am definitely familiar with arrays starting with 0 (though some languages allow you to change the base from 0 to 1 for those used to counting normally). I just thought it was obvious that no fingers = 0 (it was the absence of fingers that was a giveaway). Plus it saved me from having to draw yet another hand cartoon! I'm so efficient!

You wrote:
Would they start counting their kills at 0?

I wrote:
Ummmmmmm, no.

Johnstermeister
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