The Emperors of OpenSees

Original Post - 15 Jun 2025 - Michael H. Scott

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A drabble is a piece of micro-fiction that is exactly 100 words long. Drabble can also mean to make dirty by dragging through mud or to fish with a long line, i.e., to troll.

Herewith, I present my first drabble, The Emperors of OpenSees.

Self-ordained during a void in the before time, the Emperors of OpenSees span vast continents, weaving the finest analysis scripts for their subjects. The scripts are so fine, their origins are invisible to all but the emperors themselves.

While going each and every place with the mic in their hand, one of their subjects pointed at the emperors and shouted “You’re working with Cyclops! And those special scripts are 25 years old, with only minor updates!”

Undeterred, the emperors continued sourcing scripts, proud of their accomplishments and the knowledge they have shared, and will continue to share, with their subjects.

Do you have any OpenSees-related drabbles? Perhaps 100 words about your struggles with force-based element convergence or on the inaccuracy of AI-generated OpenSees content?