Hackers' Pub

Syntax	Description	Examples
`"` keyword `"`	Finds the string within quotes, including spaces. Case-insensitive. (Escape quotes inside with `\"`)	`"Hackers' Pub"`
`from:` handle	Finds content written by the specified user.	`from:hongminhee` `from:hongminhee@hollo.social`
`lang:` ISO 639-1	Finds content written in the specified language.	`lang:en`
`#` tag	Finds content with the specified tag. Case-insensitive.	`#HackersPub`
condition condition	Finds content that satisfies both conditions on either side of the space (logical AND).	`"Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
condition `OR` condition	Finds content that satisfies at least one of the conditions on either side of the OR operator (logical OR).	`#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" lang:en`
`(` condition `)`	Combines the operators within the parentheses first.	`(#HackersPub OR "Hackers' Pub" OR "Hackers Pub") lang:en`

Ned Batchelder @nedbat@hachyderm.io

1/18/2026, 2:30:40 PM

Public

Sometimes when I see programming experts trying to help new learners I imagine what would happen if we were a driving school:

"The gas pedal makes the car go, right?"

"Well, only if the engine is started, and not if you are out of gas, and not if the car is in neutral, and not if the car is parked against a wall, and not if the parking brake is on, and it shouldn't be called a gas pedal in an electric car, and, and, and...."

If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://hachyderm.io/users/nedbat/statuses/115916579810255800 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)