Writing lines of code to design or fix software can be tedious, even stressful. Or even downright boring if the tasks are repetitive or carried out remotely, alone in front of your screens.
In order to keep the professional flame alive, a growing number of developers and testers are using humor to reduce the pressure, of course, but even more to wink at colleagues far from them and thus establish links with them. Over time, an invaluable feeling of belonging and complicity develops. This humor and creativity interspersed between the lines of code unfolds without the knowledge of ordinary mortals like us.
“Humor creates bonds between people who are physically distant and is a powerful weapon against boredom. It constitutes a factor of commitment,” summarizes Benoit Baudry, professor in the Department of Computer Science and Operational Research (DIRO) at the University of Montreal. He was until recently attached to the prestigious Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm where, with his colleagues, he studied the specific mechanisms of humor among software developers.
“Developers have a passion for software. They want to have an emotional connection with digital technology, which is their working tool,” underlines the professor.
But when to make jokes or comments? And more precisely where to do them? Exchanges should not be found on Instagram!
More than 125 developers from around the world responded to the researchers’ online questionnaire – published on several developer sites. A majority favors software testing spaces as well as those dedicated to revisions and validations (called commits in English). Between the test lines a subtle dialogue begins.
Darth Vader, Luke and the others
Benoit Baudry
Credit: ResearchGate
Benoit Baudry and his colleagues particularly looked at the Faker library, which generates random data allowing applications to be tested. Instead of using false text or lorem ipsum – this series of meaningless words well known to developers, used provisionally to calibrate a layout before the definitive text replaces it – developers sprinkle their lines with various cultural references, on series like Seinfeldor quotes from poets.
“Some references are more specific, others are universal: who does not know the characters of Star Wars or The matrix?» asks Benoit Baudry. Characters from cult films frequently serve as chapter headings. Lots of quotes too. An example in Faker: “The wise animal blends into its surroundings», attributed to the film Dune. No big inappropriate jokes, rather references which allow you to reveal your personal tastes and provoke smiles among colleagues.
“I personally like the use of characters in the film The Big Lebowski [1998] in the error messages,” points out the professor. He also speaks enthusiastically about an initiative called lolcommits, which allows developers to send a selfie after a new change in the codes. “These selfies nourish the bonds with colleagues and constitute a sort of celebration once the operation is over,” he summarizes.
A pioneer blazed the trail
THE star and reference remains NASA engineer and computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led the team that designed the system for the Moon landing space program.Apollo 11 in 1969. When the codes were made public, we could see that the members of the team had peppered their codes with jokes, quotes from Shakespeare, references to Wizard of Ozetc.
“The humor in the codes makes my work fun,” comments one of the respondents to the researchers’ questionnaire. Jokes make me laugh and I think fondly of people who insert humor.” “Humor humanizes the work in codes and reminds us that there are real people receiving our messages,” says another respondent.
Naturally, there are limits that must not be crossed. Some respondents caution: “It goes without saying that potentially offensive or toxic jokes should be avoided.”
For the love of code
Professor Baudry’s interest in humor in technology is not new. Last year he published a fascinating article on Easter eggs, which are a hidden function in a program and accessible following a key combination or positioning of the pointer. But unlike humor in codes, Easter eggs can be discovered by the public, particularly in video games.
Benoit Baudry also wants technology users to be more aware of the human activity behind the scenes, which is essential to the thousands of connections and applications we use. In this spirit, in the past he has hosted conferences on arts and technologies by projecting code in public places, on a big screen. For the love of coding!
