@Dan: Heh! Good one!

Though I can see how most students would probably misunderstand the problem and automatically answer CPU because they know that CPU’s are very fast at executing instructions, and networking is always a bottleneck. But I guess this is why this is a trick question. :)

That was funny. Next time try the question I told Nick S. to use for his class (although he said nobody really understood it.)

Extra Credit: What is faster, a CPU or TCP/IP? (or use any general, but not comparable terms)

If the student cannot see that these cannot be compared they get the credit, hell even if they define both and discuss what each has added to the history of computing then they get the credit. If however they try to pick one above the other as a comparison then they have not learned the very basics.

The latter. Some people just have that kind of humor. – It’s definitely something I would do if I didn’t have the answer, or didn’t feel I had the answer.

haha…. “sailor…” love it!
I don’t think original humor is dead yet. Our (or mine at least) frame of reference is only a relatively short space of time. Look at humor from 100 years ago, to me (in my late 20’s) not very funny. As society changes our perspective on humor adapts, gradually, slowly, so we don’t really notice new humor. Over 2 generations, humor (much like the language it’s based on) can become nearly incoherent (one might say terminally!).
Admittedly not all humor will be forgotten, people hurting themselves will, I think, always raise a smile to us twisted mortals.
Back to your post… As long as your student made the effort on the rest of the test (as opposed to just wasting their, and your, time), they should be applauded. I’m sure marking that particular question reduced the monotony of the task. I find, in business, the slightest light-hearted comment on an otherwise important and serious situation, 1) releases a little stress, 2) improves your relationship with others, 3) ??? 4) PROFIT!

Here in the UK I have seen a great demise in society over my short life. To the degree when I’m surprised when someone in the street says “Good Morning” to me. More humor needed! But enough of my verbal diarrhea.

The proof is your students seemed to enjoy that lesson, more importantly learn from it. Also they feel that they can return humor to you, without fear of repercussions… hence respect. Well done!

“Yellow” – superb!! :D

That’s a classic in my friends circle. Most of the time, when somene says something like “sailor”, another person would say “lor”. It also happens with “yellow” and yelling “oh”.

By the way

Write “Tortue LOGO code”…

would have been the right question for your student’s answer. In the current question, there is no typographical indication to do what he did (no italics or quotes). Anyway, it’s funny nontheless. I suspect he might be a language geek.

I suppose you’re right about the fact that there is nothing original in humour nowadays. The Internet is indeed a silly place, but the scariest thing is that many memes and such also “migrate” into real life.