# \[OT\] Automatically setting attributes

**URL:** <https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808>\
**Category:** ruby-talk\
**Created:** [29 July 2004 03:10 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808 "2004-07-29T03:10:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mehr\_Assaph\_Assaph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mehr\_Assaph\_Assaph](https://rubytalk.org/u/Mehr_Assaph_Assaph)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2004 03:10 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808/1 "2004-07-29T03:10:00Z")

</div>

> \> \> Do those methods have any advantages over doing @goo, @moo = 0, 0  
> \> You only write one zero... 🙂  
> @goo = @moo = 0 # 🙂

\<sledge\>  
I SO much prefer the TMTOWTDI philosophy than the other,  
straight-jackety, feeling you get from some P languages :-\>  
\</sledge\>

---

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**Author:** ![Gavin\_Sinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gavin\_Sinclair](https://rubytalk.org/u/Gavin_Sinclair)\
**Post date:** [29 July 2004 03:23 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808/2 "2004-07-29T03:23:47Z")

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dictionary.com doesn't know about this meaning of "sledge", which is a  
slang word (probably Australian, but understood by all nations that  
play cricket) meaning agressive chatter in a sporting context, with  
the intention to gain a psychological advantage.

Just clearing that up for our international audience.

The best ever cricket sledges are by Merv Hughes: "I'll bowl you a  
#@$\* piano, you pommie poofter - see if you can play that!", and by  
Ian Healy: "You can't summon a runner just for being a fat @#$\*!".

And now, back to regular programming (no pun intended)...

Gavin

> **···**
>
> On Thursday, July 29, 2004, 1:10:00 PM, Assaph wrote:
> 
> > > \> \> Do those methods have any advantages over doing @goo, @moo = 0, 0  
> > > \> You only write one zero... 🙂  
> > > @goo = @moo = 0 # 🙂
> 
> > \<sledge\>  
> > I SO much prefer the TMTOWTDI philosophy than the other,  
> > straight-jackety, feeling you get from some P languages :-\>  
> > \</sledge\>

---

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**Author:** ![Martin\_DeMello1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@Martin\_DeMello1](https://rubytalk.org/u/Martin_DeMello1)\
**Post date:** [30 July 2004 09:11 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808/3 "2004-07-30T09:11:43Z")

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A related term in Scrabble circles is "coffeehousing"  
([http://www.wordspy.com/words/coffeehousing.asp\](http://www.wordspy.com/words/coffeehousing.asp%5C))

martin

> **···**
>
> Gavin Sinclair \<gsinclair@soyabean.com.au\> wrote:
> 
> > dictionary.com doesn't know about this meaning of "sledge", which is a  
> > slang word (probably Australian, but understood by all nations that  
> > play cricket) meaning agressive chatter in a sporting context, with  
> > the intention to gain a psychological advantage.

---

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**Author:** ![ChrisO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@ChrisO](https://rubytalk.org/u/ChrisO)\
**Post date:** [15 September 2004 04:24 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/ot-automatically-setting-attributes/12808/4 "2004-09-15T04:24:52Z")

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Gavin Sinclair wrote:

> > > > > Do those methods have any advantages over doing @goo, @moo = 0, 0
> > > > 
> > > > You only write one zero... 🙂
> > > 
> > > @goo = @moo = 0 # 🙂
> 
> > \<sledge\>  
> > I SO much prefer the TMTOWTDI philosophy than the other,  
> > straight-jackety, feeling you get from some P languages :-\>  
> > \</sledge\>
> 
> dictionary.com doesn't know about this meaning of "sledge", which is a  
> slang word (probably Australian, but understood by all nations that  
> play cricket) meaning agressive chatter in a sporting context, with  
> the intention to gain a psychological advantage.
> 
> Just clearing that up for our international audience.

American's talk "smack" or "trash" -- which works well for those of us that use development languages with automatic GC. We need that.

Personally, I think we've spread more than our fair share of it around the globe, but my initials aren't "GWB," so there's little I can do about it but place my opinion in Usenet and watch get archived to a Google hard drive somewhere.

-ceo

> **···**
>
> > On Thursday, July 29, 2004, 1:10:00 PM, Assaph wrote: