About Guess That Hype

We were promised the future. Again.

Guess That Hype is a quiz built from real quotes about developer tools across different eras of software. Your job is to figure out which technology actually said the line.

\n Play The Quiz\n View Code\n

\n\n

What this is

A developer quiz made out of real software quotes

Every prompt comes from actual product copy, launch posts, guides, or homepages tied to tools like jQuery, Rails, Heroku, AWS Lambda, GraphQL, GitHub Copilot, and OpenAI Codex.

\n $\"Guess$ \n

You are not guessing parody copy. You are guessing the real thing.

The tools change. The stack changes. The copy keeps rhyming.

\n\n

What you're actually doing

Spotting repeated patterns in tech hype

This is less about trivia and more about pattern recognition. A lot of tools keep arriving with some version of “write less code,” “deploy faster,” or “focus on what matters.”

\n\n

How it works

Guess first, then see the receipt

Each run pulls a random set of sourced prompts from the archive. After every answer, the quiz reveals the original quote, the source, and the year.

The app is a single Val Town HTTP val with server-rendered HTML, CSS, and plain browser JavaScript. You can inspect the project at the Val.

\n\n \n \n

\n \n`;\n}\n\nfunction pageHtml() {\n return `\n\n \n \n \n Guess That Hype\n \n \n \n \n

Interactive Quiz 2007-2021 hype cycle edition

Guess That Hype

\n Every generation of software marketing swears it is finally removing friction, deleting boilerplate,\n and liberating you from thinking about infrastructure. Your job is to identify which platform actually said it.\n

WRITE LESS

MANAGE LESS

THINK LESS ABOUT SERVERS

\n\n

\n \n\n

Ready to ship a personality test for people who read product homepages recreationally?

Can you tell 2007 jQuery optimism from 2021 AI launch copy?

\n You’ll get 8 sourced prompts pulled from the full archive each run. After each guess, the actual quote drops with attribution,\n because the whole point is seeing how aggressively these slogans rhyme across eras.\n

\n \n \n

\n\n

Question

\n \n

\n\n

\n\n \n \n \n`;\n}\n\nfunction appJs() {\n return `const RAW_QUESTIONS = ${serializeForScript(ALL_QUESTIONS)};\nconst QUESTIONS_PER_RUN = ${QUESTIONS_PER_RUN};\nconst RESULT_ARCHETYPES = ${serializeForScript(RESULT_ARCHETYPES)};\n\nconst analytics = window.ValTownAnalytics && window.ValTownAnalytics.init({\n project: \"guess-that-hype\",\n globalProps: {\n app: \"guess-that-hype\",\n },\n});\n\nconst state = {\n questions: [],\n currentIndex: 0,\n score: 0,\n streak: 0,\n bestStreak: 0,\n answers: [],\n runId: \"\",\n currentChoiceCount: 0,\n currentCorrectPosition: 0,\n};\n\nconst $ = (id) => document.getElementById(id);\n\nconst screens = {\n intro: $(\"screenIntro\"),\n question: $(\"screenQuestion\"),\n result: $(\"screenResult\"),\n};\n\nfunction shuffle(list) {\n const copy = [...list];\n for (let i = copy.length - 1; i > 0; i -= 1) {\n const j = Math.floor(Math.random() * (i + 1));\n [copy[i], copy[j]] = [copy[j], copy[i]];\n }\n return copy;\n}\n\nfunction escapeHtml(value) {\n return String(value)\n .replace(/&/g, \"&\")\n .replace(//g, \">\")\n .replace(/\\\"/g, \""\")\n .replace(/'/g, \"'\");\n}\n\nfunction createId() {\n if (window.crypto && window.crypto.randomUUID) {\n return window.crypto.randomUUID();\n }\n return \"run-\" + Date.now().toString(36) + \"-\" + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 10);\n}\n\nfunction analyticsTrack(event, props) {\n if (!analytics) return;\n try {\n analytics.track(event, props || {});\n } catch (_error) {\n // Analytics should never block quiz interaction.\n }\n}\n\nanalyticsTrack(\"page_viewed\", {\n screen: \"intro\",\n});\n\nfunction updateHud() {\n const total = state.questions.length || RAW_QUESTIONS.length;\n const completed = state.answers.length;\n const progress = total ? (completed / total) * 100 : 0;\n $(\"progressFill\").style.width = progress + \"%\";\n\n if (!state.questions.length) {\n $(\"progressLabel\").textContent = \"Waiting for launch\";\n } else if (completed >= total) {\n $(\"progressLabel\").textContent = \"Quiz complete\";\n } else {\n $(\"progressLabel\").textContent = \"Question \" + (state.currentIndex + 1) + \" of \" + total;\n }\n\n $(\"scoreValue\").textContent = String(state.score);\n $(\"streakValue\").textContent = String(state.streak);\n}\n\nfunction startQuiz() {\n document.body.classList.add(\"quiz-active\");\n state.questions = shuffle(RAW_QUESTIONS).slice(0, QUESTIONS_PER_RUN);\n state.currentIndex = 0;\n state.score = 0;\n state.streak = 0;\n state.bestStreak = 0;\n state.answers = [];\n state.runId = createId();\n state.currentChoiceCount = 0;\n state.currentCorrectPosition = 0;\n screens.intro.classList.add(\"hide\");\n screens.result.classList.add(\"hide\");\n screens.question.classList.remove(\"hide\");\n analyticsTrack(\"quiz_started\", {\n runId: state.runId,\n questionsPerRun: state.questions.length,\n questionIds: state.questions.map((question) => question.id),\n });\n renderQuestion();\n}\n\nfunction renderQuestion() {\n updateHud();\n const q = state.questions[state.currentIndex];\n $(\"questionEyebrow\").textContent = \"Question \" + (state.currentIndex + 1) + \" of \" + state.questions.length;\n $(\"promptText\").textContent = q.short_prompt;\n $(\"questionSubhead\").textContent = q.ambiguity_type === \"lineage\"\n ? \"This one is here because the product lineage keeps reusing the same promise in new costumes.\"\n : \"\";\n\n const options = $(\"options\");\n const shuffledOptions = shuffle(q.options);\n options.innerHTML = \"\";\n $(\"revealStack\").classList.add(\"is-hidden\");\n state.currentChoiceCount = shuffledOptions.length;\n state.currentCorrectPosition = shuffledOptions.indexOf(q.correct_answer) + 1;\n\n shuffledOptions.forEach((option, index) => {\n const button = document.createElement(\"button\");\n button.className = \"option\";\n button.innerHTML = \"\" + escapeHtml(option) + \"Choice \" + (index + 1) + \"\";\n button.addEventListener(\"click\", () => answerQuestion(option, index + 1));\n options.appendChild(button);\n });\n}\n\nfunction answerQuestion(selected, selectedPosition) {\n const q = state.questions[state.currentIndex];\n const correct = selected === q.correct_answer;\n\n state.answers.push({\n id: q.id,\n prompt: q.short_prompt,\n selected,\n correctAnswer: q.correct_answer,\n technology: q.technology,\n ambiguityType: q.ambiguity_type,\n correct,\n });\n\n if (correct) {\n state.score += 1;\n state.streak += 1;\n state.bestStreak = Math.max(state.bestStreak, state.streak);\n } else {\n state.streak = 0;\n }\n\n analyticsTrack(\"question_answered\", {\n runId: state.runId,\n questionId: q.id,\n questionIndex: state.currentIndex + 1,\n ambiguityType: q.ambiguity_type,\n selected: selected,\n selectedPosition: selectedPosition,\n correctAnswer: q.correct_answer,\n correctPosition: state.currentCorrectPosition,\n choiceCount: state.currentChoiceCount,\n correct: correct,\n scoreAfterAnswer: state.score,\n streakAfterAnswer: state.streak,\n });\n\n updateHud();\n\n Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\".option\")).forEach((button) => {\n button.disabled = true;\n const label = button.querySelector(\".option-label\").textContent;\n if (label === q.correct_answer) button.classList.add(\"correct\");\n if (label === selected && !correct) button.classList.add(\"wrong\");\n if (label !== selected && label !== q.correct_answer && !correct) button.classList.add(\"missed\");\n });\n\n $(\"answerState\").innerHTML = correct\n ? \"

Correct

Yes. The hype belonged to \" + escapeHtml(q.technology) + \".

Your internal marketing-copy sonar is functioning. The promise landed exactly where it came from.

\"\n : \"

Not Quite

That line came from \" + escapeHtml(q.technology) + \".

You picked \" + escapeHtml(selected) + \", which is a defensible mistake because this entire industry keeps photocopying the same emotional argument.

\";\n\n $(\"sourceCard\").innerHTML = \"

Receipt

\"\n + \"

“\" + escapeHtml(q.quote) + \"”

\"\n + \"

\" + escapeHtml(q.source.title) + \" · \" + escapeHtml(q.source.author) + \" · \" + q.source.year + \"

\"\n + \"

Ambiguity type: \" + (q.ambiguity_type === \"lineage\" ? \"Lineage\" : \"True ambiguous\") + \"

\";\n\n $(\"revealStack\").classList.remove(\"is-hidden\");\n $(\"nextBtn\").textContent = state.currentIndex === state.questions.length - 1 ? \"See My Result\" : \"Next Quote\";\n}\n\nfunction resultForScore(score) {\n return RESULT_ARCHETYPES.find((item) => score >= item.minScore) || RESULT_ARCHETYPES[RESULT_ARCHETYPES.length - 1];\n}\n\nfunction renderResults() {\n screens.question.classList.add(\"hide\");\n screens.result.classList.remove(\"hide\");\n\n const total = state.questions.length;\n const percent = Math.round((state.score / total) * 100);\n const archetype = resultForScore(state.score);\n const trueAmbiguous = state.answers.filter((answer) => answer.ambiguityType === \"true_ambiguous\");\n const lineage = state.answers.filter((answer) => answer.ambiguityType === \"lineage\");\n const trueHits = trueAmbiguous.filter((answer) => answer.correct).length;\n const lineageHits = lineage.filter((answer) => answer.correct).length;\n const hardestMisses = state.answers.filter((answer) => !answer.correct).slice(0, 4);\n const shareText = \"I scored \" + state.score + \"/\" + total + \" on Guess That Hype and got \" + archetype.title + \". Can you tell old-school launch copy from modern AI-era positioning?\";\n\n analyticsTrack(\"quiz_completed\", {\n runId: state.runId,\n score: state.score,\n totalQuestions: total,\n accuracyPercent: percent,\n bestStreak: state.bestStreak,\n archetype: archetype.title,\n trueAmbiguousHits: trueHits,\n lineageHits: lineageHits,\n missCount: hardestMisses.length,\n });\n\n const missesHtml = hardestMisses.length\n ? \"

Quotes That Got You

\"\n + hardestMisses.map((answer) => \"

\" + escapeHtml(answer.prompt) + \"

You picked \" + escapeHtml(answer.selected) + \". Correct answer: \" + escapeHtml(answer.correctAnswer) + \".

\").join(\"\")\n + \"

\"\n : \"

Perfect Deck

No misses.

You are now legally allowed to side-eye any product launch that promises fewer decisions and more velocity.

\";\n\n screens.result.innerHTML = \"\"\n + \"

\"\n + \"

Result

\"\n + \"

\" + state.score + \"/\" + total + \"

\"\n + \"

\" + escapeHtml(archetype.title) + \"

\"\n + \"

\" + escapeHtml(archetype.subtitle) + \"

\"\n + \"

\" + escapeHtml(archetype.vibe) + \"

\"\n + \"

Accuracy

\" + percent + \"%

\"\n + \"

Best streak

\" + state.bestStreak + \"

\"\n + \"

Breakdown

\"\n + \"

True ambiguous traps\" + trueHits + \"/\" + trueAmbiguous.length + \"

\"\n + \"

Lineage traps\" + lineageHits + \"/\" + lineage.length + \"

\"\n + \"

\"\n + missesHtml\n + \"

\"\n + \"\"\n + \"\"\n + \"\"\n + \"

\"\n + \"\"\n + \"

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guess-that-hype