May 15, 2003

Sturgeon's Law

prov.

Ninety percent of everything is crud. Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud. Sturgeon himself called this Sturgeon's Revelation, and it first appeared in the March 1958 issue of Venture Science Fiction; he gave Sturgeon's Law as Nothing is always absolutely so. Oddly, when Sturgeon's Revelation is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to ‘crap’. Compare Hanlon's Razor, Ninety-Ninety Rule. Though this maxim originated in SF fandom, most hackers recognize it and are all too aware of its truth.

Posted by Jargon File at May 15, 2003 10:28 AM

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