STURGEON'S LAW

Domain	Definition
Computing	Sturgeon's Law prov. "Ninety percent of everything is crap". 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." Oddly, when Sturgeon's Law 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. Source: Jargon File.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Sturgeon's law

Sturgeon's law: "Ninety percent of everything is crud." Derived from a quote by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, who once said, "Sure, ninety percent of science fiction is crud. That's because ninety percent of everything is crud." Oddly, when Sturgeon's law is cited, the final word is almost invariably changed to "crap".

(If memory serves me correctly, Harlan Ellison wrote in Again, Dangerous Visions that Sturgeon's original quote contained the word "crap:" a reporter asked him, "Mr. Sturgeon, isn't it true that 90 per cent of science fiction is crap?" "Sure, 90 per cent of science fiction is crap. But then, 90 per cent of everything is crap." (Perhaps someone who owns the book could confirm this?) -- HarmonicSphere)

Sturgeon's law might be regarded as an instance of the Pareto principle.

See also: Murphy's law -- Finagle's law -- Hanlon's razor -- Law (principle)

Anagrams: STURGEON'S LAW

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "'-a-e-g-l-n-o-r-s-s-t-u-w"
	-3 letters: granuloses, langoustes.
	-4 letters: anestrous, assurgent, estragons, glasswort, granulose, langouste, lungworts, outglares, outlearns, outranges, outswears, stegosaur, strangles, sturgeons, turnsoles, twanglers, waterlogs.
	-5 letters: aleurons, anestrus, angulose, anserous, arsenous, assentor, estragon, gestural, glasnost, gloaters, granules, gruntles, gunwales, languets, languors, legators, loungers, lungwort, negators, neurosal, neutrals, nutgrass, outearns, outglare, outgnaws, outlearn, outrages, outrange, outsware, outswear, outwears, roseslug.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.