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internetworkers - Re: [internetworkers] 20:02, 11-11, 2002

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  • From: Sil Greene <Sil_greene AT unc.edu>
  • To: internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] 20:02, 11-11, 2002
  • Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 13:26:10 -0500 (EST)

On Tue, 12 Nov 2002, Michael D. Thomas wrote:

> > > I wonder what the longest character string out
> > > there is?

> > My bet's on the Terraserver (or some similar massive database). Display
> > the whole db into hex and it's one really long string. Display the whole
> > thing as binary and it's even longer (4x!!).

> I like it, assuming you can do a db dump of such a monster. I expect that no
> one has bothered to implement that function fully. :-)

Why do a db dump? Just take an image of the filesystem. :)

> If you constrain the problem to "the longest character string that has some
> real value other than being the longest character string," then you probably
> get something like the best approximation of pi (but probably longer).

I was -- the db file's "real value" is being the db. Granted, it isn't a
human-readable string, but what human is going to sit down and read in
entirety the best approximation of pi?

> I would
> like to define such a string as a naturally occurring string, with
> "naturally"
> being open to interpretation.

Hmm. That is an interesting constraint. I suppose the OED doesn't count
as "naturally occuring"? It would make a heckuva string...

--sil

--
"If you put your supper dish to your ears you can hear the sounds
of a restaurant." --Snoopy (Charles Schultz 02-12-2000 RIP)
*&* Sil_Greene AT unc.edu *&* ICQ Silauren #36430811 *&*





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