Programmers are kind of like welders in that I always end up assuming they have one of those skills based off of their goofy demeanor. The a-hole programmers/welders are usually people who have halfassedly taught theirselves at home and have no professional experience with either skillset.
Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas
Ludd's Eighth Law:
If you need to keep the user manual for reference, the device is probably too complicated.
|
So, you don't keep a repair manual/owner's manual for your vehicles? What about for things you use infrequently, but are still extremely useful when you need them, like a good graphing calculator? I have an accordion file that I keep all user manuals in. I probably won't ever need to refer back to 99% of them, but for the rare occasion I do, it's a lifesaver.
I also am firmly against paying my hard-earned money to become a guinea pig for something that might not work properly. Even with video games, I play them when they go on sale and all the bugs are patched, and I've never bought a cell phone that was newer than two years old (I miss my 2004 Blackberry 7290 that I bought in 2011 and used for years).
BUT! Those who buy the new and the gimmicky products help drive innovation in an economic sense. Why would you make a better one if nobody will buy it, and prefers the old one? While I don't often buy shiny new stuff, I really do appreciate the ones that do as I can later reap the benefits of the whole after finding out if it's for me or not based on other consumers' experiences. Hypocritically, I also look forward to buying a brand new motorcycle eventually. I think not knowing a bike's full history adds to the fun of owning an older motorcycle, but I'd love to know everything that's happened with my bike because I owned it its whole life.
I think these are great baselines, but discretion and context is an absolute must. Calling them "laws," seems a bit "do it this way or you're wrong," to me. I'm pretty sure this wasn't your intention because you're a cool dude, but I wanted to point it out. Great post, though!