# April Fools **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [1 April 2003 20:54 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465 "2003-04-01T20:54:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Arthur\_Chance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f475e1/32.png) [@Arthur\_Chance](https://rubytalk.org/u/Arthur_Chance)\ **Post date:** [2 April 2003 17:12 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465/21 "2003-04-02T17:12:02Z")
“MikkelFJ” [mikkelfj-anti-spam@bigfoot.com](mailto:mikkelfj-anti-spam@bigfoot.com) writes: > “Jim Freeze” [jim@freeze.org](mailto:jim@freeze.org) wrote in message > [news:20030401171016.A54033@freeze.org](mailto:news:20030401171016.A54033@freeze.org)… > > > So, Hal, just how would I use a ‘comefrom’ command? > > Kinda non-causal, don’t you think? 🙂 > > I was actually pointed to a language with such a construct, but I don’t > recall what it was called perhaps it was Befunge. Intercal. A remarkable language, although many of the remarks aren’t repeatable in polite circles. [http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/intercal-man/home.html](http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/intercal-man/home.html) for the Intercal manual, [http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/intercal-man/s04.html#4.14](http://www.muppetlabs.com/~breadbox/intercal-man/s04.html#4.14) specifically for the COMEFROM statement. Apparently the idea of COMEFROM was a 1984 CACM April Fools joke. > **···** > > – > Conspiracy theories exist to prevent you knowing what’s really going on. ---
**Author:** ![MikkelFJ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@MikkelFJ1](https://rubytalk.org/u/MikkelFJ1)\ **Post date:** [1 April 2003 23:09 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465/22 "2003-04-01T23:09:08Z")
“Michael Campbell” [michael\_s\_campbell@yahoo.com](mailto:michael_s_campbell@yahoo.com) wrote in message [news:20030401225227.84865.qmail@web12403.mail.yahoo.com](mailto:news:20030401225227.84865.qmail@web12403.mail.yahoo.com)… > > recall what it was called perhaps it was Befunge. > > Intercal > > [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ComeFrom](http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ComeFrom) I’ve also heard of Intercal, but Befunge sounds right: “The PC in Befunge-93, however, is subject to different rules. It may go forward, backward, left or right. A Befunge-93 program is treated as an 80x25 torus (a page which wraps around on the edges) of ASCII text. Certain commands change the direction of the progress of the PC. By default, the PC points to the upper-left corner of the program, and is oriented to travel left-to-right.” The above comes from [http://www.catseye.mb.ca/projects/befunge93-2003.0325/doc/befunge93.html](http://www.catseye.mb.ca/projects/befunge93-2003.0325/doc/befunge93.html) Mikkel ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Campbell1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Michael\_Campbell1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Michael_Campbell1)\ **Post date:** [2 April 2003 00:54 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465/23 "2003-04-02T00:54:54Z")
> “Michael Campbell” [michael\_s\_campbell@yahoo.com](mailto:michael_s_campbell@yahoo.com) wrote in message > [news:20030401225227.84865.qmail@web12403.mail.yahoo.com](mailto:news:20030401225227.84865.qmail@web12403.mail.yahoo.com)… > > > > recall what it was called perhaps it was Befunge. > > > > Intercal > > > > [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ComeFrom](http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?ComeFrom) > > I’ve also heard of Intercal, but Befunge sounds right: Oh I know about befunge too (and brainfu\*k, and a slew of other esoteric languages), but I thought you were wondering where “comefrom” … came from, as it were. To my knowledge, it was intercal. The latest jargon file entry confirms: [http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/entry/COME-FROM.html](http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/entry/COME-FROM.html) Or did I misunderstand the question? ---
**Author:** ![MikkelFJ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@MikkelFJ1](https://rubytalk.org/u/MikkelFJ1)\ **Post date:** [2 April 2003 11:50 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465/24 "2003-04-02T11:50:37Z")
“Mike Campbell” [michael\_s\_campbell@yahoo.com](mailto:michael_s_campbell@yahoo.com) wrote in message [news:NFBBKBEMGLGCIPPFGHOLOEOHDGAA.michael\_s\_campbell@yahoo.com](mailto:news:NFBBKBEMGLGCIPPFGHOLOEOHDGAA.michael_s_campbell@yahoo.com)… > > I’ve also heard of Intercal, but Befunge sounds right: > > Oh I know about befunge too (and brainfu\*k, and a slew of other esoteric > languages), but I thought you were wondering where “comefrom” … came > from, as > it were. To my knowledge, it was intercal. The latest jargon file entry > confirms: [http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/entry/COME-FROM.html](http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/entry/COME-FROM.html) > > Or did I misunderstand the question? No it was just that I was pointed to a language that would run in both directions. I later realized it was indeed Befunge I had heard about - there’s no deeper meaning to it. Mikkel [Previous page](https://rubytalk.org/t/april-fools/5465.md?page=1)