Bitcoin Forum

"There should not be any signed int. If you've found a signed int somewhere, please tell me (within the next 25 years please) and I'll change it to unsigned int." -- Satoshi

What is a signed int and why should they be unsigned, according to Satoshi?

A signed integer can be either negative or positive (- or +), such as 55 and -55.  An unsigned int can only be positive.  If you only need to deal with positive numbers, you should use unsigned ints because the maximum integer number the type can hold will be twice as much as a signed int.

It's the "within the next 25 years" part that makes the quote funny. Representing time with a signed int doesn't become a problem for a long time, so Satoshi was being sarcastic.

Am I the only one who finds this quote funny? Maybe it needs more context.

I found it funny, but that's because I have background in Unix timekeeping and C jargon. I assume the average person doesn't have this knowledge, and therefore it would not make sense to them.

Correct.

We could get into the amount of values it can hold, but that maybe a little more advanced (like a 64 bit unsigned integer).

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

7
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.17 (MingW32)

iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJO3YnoAAoJEFonJil8Kq9nW50H/RXpag1ZM9Yz9w1l/JDBa+tc
vA/VyZFRQbo2f+H+6TuQ7iFjgCraOuT6CUkRwpkXMw2cJ0ofD87ftnayLM7SxKH+
Xey8APQV7Vm3yXYKH7tDGcXuo9DrQLpT0pKkTuWmoOwH884evhDOVHPm1ev/lGot
lXARdBb6Jf1ANdaeOP22RxWL97UxZWF0ePvN0z3bPNehza/sHqmOlXdiETAjkiKy
juaQ6TdfhBFuhNY0QY50R9HEItkwG+69H2dguV3B472cjHcHvv5bUCTrK8wPCwhw
up/5WEsW56lv6e06mU4r0XNGTkAzQ5B5AgTLHTdMvUMabZ4Lfygzy7+5jU/QhJ4=
=scw1
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

@BTCurious  It took me 2 full seconds to get it.  I can't believe it took that long!  Good job. Would buy again.

I also found it funny.  Doesn't need more context right now, but maybe when "commoners" adopt Bitcoin...

I wonder if he'll ever become more public about his identity. Certainly, at the very least, he's a funny guy.

I don't get it  >:(

hahahaahahahahah

Theymos a little humorous, but (±1) for BTCurious :)

int prob_of_overflow ( myAge , actuarial.lifeTable )

i found another one:

http://www.freefoto.com/images/810/14/810_14_6664---40-kilometer-speed-sign_web.jpg

;D

I found another one too!

https://i.imgur.com/Pff8w.jpg

It's a lame joke, to use an alternate meaning of "signed" integers, besides "to include the negatives of non-zero natural numbers".

No! That's a framed int.!

If only signed ints included the negatives of all non-zero natural numbers.....

It's signed too.

this thread wins.

Necro!

It turns out that this post contains an error; representing time with a signed int will in fact become a problem in only 25 years—exactly what Satoshi said.

Thread necromancy is better than starting a new thread, because things are less fragmented. Plus, this is the newbie section, and more topics on the same subject are exactly what it needs less of.

Try this one geeks...

There are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary, and those that don't.  :D

Ooh, I found one.

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbview_approve/19286178/2/stock-photo-19286178-number-eight-on-american-sign-language-alphabet.jpg

There are 10 kinds of people, those that know binary and those that aren't really bothered by this quote not ending the way they thought it would.

Wouldn't that be 4 kinds of people?

10 in binary is equivalent to decimal 2

100 in binary is equivalent to decimal 4

LOL, I guess you missed it.

Please explain, because I'm still missing it.

Unless you are being a grammar nazi and viewing it as a list of 3 items instead of a clause followed by a list of two items because of the usage of a comma rather than a colon.  If that's it then you should work on your comedy.  If that's not it, you should still work on your comedy since it needs explanation.

Meh... Ok

It was the irrelevance of the number itself. 10 kinds of people, etc... at first glance you divide 5 get it, 5 don't get it. Same with 4, 2 get it, 2 don't get it.

Better yet would be: There is 1 kind of person that gets binary, the one that does and the one that doesn't.

My personal take on this joke:

There is 1 type of person in this world: those who expected a different joke.

In any case, is 20 years up so I can finally sign the int?

Shh, not so loud! You can sign it, but only if you don't tell Satoshi.