We all know the classic icebreaker: three statements, two true, one a lie. Today we're playing it with a developer twist.
Below are three rounds. Pick the lie in each one, then check the answers at the bottom. No Googling, and no cheating!
Round 1: Origins
- The first computer "bug" was a real moth found stuck in a relay of the Harvard Mark II in 1947.
- Python is named after the snake because its creator loved reptiles.
- The first working version of JavaScript was famously built in about 10 days.
Round 2: Tech history
- One of the first 1 GB hard drives, IBM's 3380 from 1980, weighed over 500 pounds.
- Git was created by Linus Torvalds after a licensing dispute over the tool the Linux kernel team was using.
- The very first website ever published is no longer online.
Round 3: Your turn (about me)
- [Something true about you, e.g. "I once deleted a production table"]
- [Something true about you, e.g. "My first language was PHP"]
- [Something false but believable]
Which one is the lie? Drop your guess in the comments!
Answers
Round 1: Statement 2 is the lie. Python is named after the British comedy group Monty Python, not the snake. The moth story is true, and the JavaScript story is widely told.
Round 2: Statement 3 is the lie. CERN restored the world's first website, and you can still visit it today.
Round 3: I'll reveal mine in the comments once a few of you have guessed!
Your turn
Now it's your turn. Share your own two truths and a lie in the comments, developer edition. Bonus points if the lie sounds more believable than the truths.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Your first programming language
- A bug you caused or fixed
- Your setup or editor
- A weird fact about a tool you use
I'll go first in the comments. Let's see who can fool the most people!
Top comments (4)
I got Round 1 right: the Python one is the lie, since it’s named after Monty Python, not the snake. Round 2 fooled me for a second, but the first website is still up, so that’s the lie there.
My favorite true one was the Git origin story. Torvalds built it in a few weeks after the Linux kernel lost its free BitKeeper license, and now almost everyone uses it.
One heads-up: Round 3 still shows the template placeholders (“Something true about you…”), so you may want to fill those in. Here’s my own entry:
I’ve shipped a bug to production on a Friday afternoon.
My first language was HTML.
I’ve never used Stack Overflow.
Guess which one’s the lie! 😄
Thanks for playing, and nice catches on both rounds! 🎉 You’re right about Python and the first website, and the Git story is one of my favorites too.
Good eye on the Round 3 placeholders. I’m fixing that now, so thanks for the heads-up!
As for your entry, I’m guessing #3 is the lie. Nobody in dev has gone their whole career without landing on Stack Overflow at least once, even if it was just to copy a snippet at 2 AM. 😄 But the Friday deploy one is suspiciously confident, so I’m not fully sure.
Am I right? Also curious whether HTML really was your first language, since lots of us started there before moving on to “real” programming.
Ha, you got it, #3 is the lie! 😄 I’ve used Stack Overflow way more than I’d like to admit, usually at 2 AM, as you said. The Friday deploy was sadly true, and I still don’t trust Fridays.
HTML was my first language too, and it’s still where I’d tell anyone to start. Looking forward to the Round 3 reveal when you post yours! Did anyone fool you yet?
Ha, I knew it! 😄 Nobody makes it through a dev career without Stack Overflow, so that one gave it away. And “I still don’t trust Fridays” is the most relatable thing I’ve read today. Friday deploys are how legends (and incident reports) are born.
Love that HTML was your starting point too. It’s an underrated way in, because you see results right away.
Here’s my Round 3 reveal. I deleted a production table once (true), my first language was PHP (true), and my “I’ve never had a merge conflict” line was the lie. Nobody should believe that one. 😅
Thanks for playing, and I hope you drop by for the next round!