Speedcabling (2008) | Hacker News Reader

Speedcabling (2008)

schkolne.com

72 pointscaptn3m031 comments

Expected a video, so here ya go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKy_pmuB9-g

Made me laugh

I don't get it, it didn't look fully untangled. It seems like they should have to bundle it too.

You only have to separate them:

> A wire is considered separate when it is in contact with no other wires. Each contestant must separate each wire, and demonstrate its separation by holding the wire above their head.

"Loosen everything up first" is a pretty good way to start. I use it with Christmas lights every year.

The “roadie wrap” technique works on Christmas lights - you can’t do a satisfying throw and have the cable unfurl perfectly like you can with a roadie wrapped power cord but xmas light strings are usually too long to throw out to unfurl anyway plus the lights catch on the wires so throwing is out but putting the loop on the floor and having it perfectly unwrap as you pull the end never gets old :-)

You can also crack or break some of the bulbs that way.

My professional bias had me expect people wiring Ethernet cables in 6.23 seconds, crimper in a carbon fiber holster.

I don't think it's fair since both cables aren't tangled in the same way. There needs to be a DSL or something for describing cable turns and moves so that one could reproducibly recreate the runs used for the competitions :)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reidemeister_move

Half of the original describes an exact process for tangling the cables ("bundling") so that they would be tangled in a fair way for every participant.

Hmm, it's part of the (lamented) Machine Project in Echo Park, LA.

They did a bunch of playful and intellectually-interesting science + art crossovers over the years.

One that people here may remember is the hyperbolic-geometry knitting associated with Margaret Wertheim (https://twitter.com/margaretwerth).

Proof that no matter how vile the task, you can make a competition out of anything.

In England they have a nettle-eating contest https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Inn

I've got a trick for eating nettles which involves handling the top of the leaf and carefully folding the spiny underside away, but that takes about 30s per leaf. Don't think I'd come anywhere close to placing with that strategy... no pain, no gain, I guess

Also known as the "I'm better than you" principle.

This is a competition for untangling cables? That's a real thing?

I initially thought this was a competition for terminating Cat-5e/6 cables. That would also be a good one.

If the storage process involves "putting in a dryer" I consider the cable trashed. Put the cable away properly and save yourself some time installing. Faced with a rats nest of cable I will purchase a reel of fresh wire and add my own ends.

I have spent way too much time in my youth untangling cable but haven't we all made mistakes when we were in our 20's? Eventually everyone needs to grow up, take the pills they gave you at the clinic, and recognize your time is valuable.

And yet, I find something satisfying about untangling knots. Also darning socks, repairing cheap electronics, and other "not worth my time" activities. Perhaps it is a character flaw (:

Optimizing for efficiency and optimizing for happiness can be quite at odds, and the people at the clinic sometimes miss that, I find.

I like doing things like this because so often the alternative is throwing the item away and buying a new one.

I enjoy the times when I can avoid participating in throw-away society.

You may be confused. The dryer is used to tangle the cable. The competition is about untangling it. I doubt anyone is using these cables for their intended purpose afterwards.

Why does it need the high heat setting then?

to make it extra pliable?

Poe's law strikes again!

To make this a true competition, all winning cables must pass in-spec continuity checks.

Video?

how many cables were harmed in this event?

All of them.

More seriously, why the high heat requirement during tangling? Does that make the cables get more supple or so? Can't even imagine that 3 minutes gets it up to temperature though, kinda seems like a waste. I wonder if it's a joke in the article that I'm just taking seriously.

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