It’s Not a Stack, It’s a Queue

In computer science a stack is a data structure that follows a first in, last out order. That is to say stacks work like magazines in firearms, the first round you place into the magazine is the last one that feeds into the firearm. The opposite of this is a queue, which follows a first in, first out order. An example of a queue is when you get in line at a restaurant, the first person in the line is the first person to get service. This is why the British refer to lines as queues for those who are curious.

During the complete wastes of time general assemblies at Occupy Minneapolis speakers are asked to go into the stack. What they call a stack is actually a queue though and this drives the computer scientist in me up a wall. Here’s a tip for those of you in the occupation movement, stop calling the speaking queue a stack. Incorrectly using terminology does not reflect well on the perceived intelligence of your movement.

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