Revolution redeems Hackers

Programmers everywhere still squirm when they remember this scene from Hackers

hackers

It was Hollywood’s pathetic attempt to make programming look cool … And it was groan inducing scene.

Over the years my wife and I have taken a certain perverse pleasure in inspecting what code is used on-screen. And over time we have found that the code has gone from nonsense, to recognizable constructs, to valid but irrelevant programs.

The Holy Grail was software on-screen that was correct and relevant.

We have found our Grail. In Revolution, a TV show we like, a character approaches a biometric terminal. On the terminal is code.

revolution

 

And the code is correct and relevant code. It’s software using code from the open biometrics initiative … And just in case the apocalypse does happen you and need some code … here’s the github repo.

My only thought was in the apocalypse, we will have no shortage of C++ programmers  because C++, C++ is the correct answer.

 

One thought on “Revolution redeems Hackers

  1. marco

    on the other hand, I found it stupid and childish when I saw it on tv: why in the world should anyone show source code on a biometric terminal?
    i think the writers just wanted something that looked techy and geeky, and those indented line they once saw in the computer lab looked fine.

    Reply

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