Introduction to computer programming

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Characters: Alex Furest and anyone from Fortitude
Format: Either!
This log is: open
Location: Fortitude computer lab
Summary: Alex is teaching another of his daily classes and figuring out that he's forgotten a number.
Warnings: Should be none~

Alex stands in front of the class, awkward as usual. This is his 17th class, and he still was not comfortable in front of the class. He fumbled with the textbook, "Ah, u-um c-could you a-all go ta chapter 2? I m-mean 3. P-page 48." It actually started on page 49, but that's the facing page, so who's counting?

"So, uh, t-today's functions a-and abstractions. S-so, uh, s-see if you c-can find some sub-programs in the things we've d-done, and... uh, lemme know." While he let people look at things they've already written for sub-programs, he busied himself again with a program for the PDA he has started working on.

((OOC: if anyone is interested in where I'm getting his lessons, I'm using this course as a guide for the lessons... not that anyone has to get technical or read any of it.))

Comments

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk stares blankly, drumming his fingers on his desk. "Twenty-nine, bro. Twenty-nine plus some junk."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"T-twenty what?" Alex looked baffled. What was it that Dirk was talking about?

[fracturedsoul]

"Twenty-nine raks. The number that comes between twenty-eight and thirty?"

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex stares at Dirk blankly. "What n-number?" He's starting to get a headache.

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk lowers his shades to stare right back at Alex. "Did you seriously forget the number twenty-fucking-nine?"

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex groaned a bit, "G-great. N-no wonder some o-of my values a-aren't working." Alex started counting on his fingers in binary, though he misses the number nine, then 19, throwing off his count.

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk watches closely. Aha... "Think fast. What's three times three?"

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"One zero zero one. I-I mean, ten. Eight. T-ten." He goes red, realizing that he just answered more easily in binary. He normally got teased for that.

[fracturedsoul]

Dirk counts on his hands. Well, he got it right the first time... Did he only forget nine's representation in base ten? Or the digit itself?

"Ten's the right answer, just not in decimal. What base do you use to make it correct?" Dirk's not all that up on differing number bases -- besides binary and hexadecimal, because of reasons -- but he at least gets the general concept.

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex thinks a moment, then curses softly in German. "T-ten is 1010, n-not 1001, a-an' 11 times 11 i-is 1001 -- i-in binary o'c-course."

[fracturedsoul]

"Not talking about binary, bro. Three times three is ten," he repeats, "in which number base?"

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex curses again in German, but louder and more harshly this time. They messed with his ability to run numbers. It was avoidable, but it would mean most people probably wouldn't understand his counting. He could still write programs with binary, but that would mean more numerals to enter and it would take longer. Not to mention, "Th-there sh-should be a b-base! I-it's c-counted, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10... b-but that's the same as b-base 10, m-maybe...."

He raises his hand to his head, starting to get a headache from trying to figure it out.

[fracturedsoul]

"Okay, stop. Stop before you hurt yourself." Dirk frowns. "That's a straight-up fuckin' bullshit memory. Save your raks for yourself. You're gonna need 'em."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

Alex sighs deeply. "J-just m-my luck. C-can't tie m-my shoes either."

[fracturedsoul]

"Gotta wonder what they get out of watching us all flounder around like morons." Dirk shrugs. "Anyway, I'll be fine here. Don't think it actually matters what kind of grades we get in these classes."

[afraid_of_my_shadow]

"W-well, if you g-get the m-memory back, I'll l-let you make up everything, and it sh-shouldn't be hard fer you, so d-don't flounder t-too much." Alex offers him a bit of a smile.