It's Because The Stakes Are So Low

I've long been convinced that every community of a certain size that centers around a particular hobby maps exactly onto every community of the same size but with a different hobby. The group dynamics of International Puzzle Party are just like those who collect weighing scales, and so forth.

One of the aspects is a debate that's meaningless to everyone outside the community, but of vital importance to the people within it. How to classify certain mechanical puzzles for instance.

Which is why this debate about the fastest speed run of Super Mario Bros. makes sense to me. Speed runs, if you don't know, are videos of players finishing a game in the fastest possible time. If you look up Super Mario Bros. at Twin Galaxies, you'll find 5 minutes and 8 seconds. If, on the other hand, you look at Speed Demos Archive, you'll find a time of 5 minutes flat. Twin Galaxies doesn't allow you to exploit bugs in the original game, arguing that they go against the "programmer intent." Speed Demos, on the other hand, allows you to take advantage of esoteric glitches in your speed run.

So which is the legitimate Super Mario Bros. record?