(no subject)

[noahgibbs]

"A simple solution to a complex problem by definition means that much of the original complexity is hidden from you. That means, perversely, that the better a tool is at solving a complex problem, the less it seems necessary.

Often complex problems seem simple to the naïve observer. If you are comparing two solutions and one is 10,000 lines of code and the other 1,000 lines of code, consider that the implementor of the second solution may not yet have a deep enough understanding of the problem to shield you, the user, from the complexity of the problem. Consider that the extra 9,000 lines that may seem like bloat to you may in fact be the full understanding of a complex problem, written down in code."

-- Tom Dale, or possibly Yehuda Katz

Some days, I want this framed on my wall.

Comments

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

That describes much of my life working in Quality.

The reason I want you to do seemingly complex thing and seemingly extra thing are because they are the minimum required to prevent Unpleasant Thing from happening at a likelyness that is unacceptable.

The trouble is, without people bothering to understand the problem, they aren't willing to set things up correctly.

And I hate few things more than "frequent fliers," aka repeat issues we COULD have solved.

[rbus.livejournal.com]

On the wall of my cube is a quote from one of my techie-friends in China:

"Sometimes, the solution is more problem than the problem."

Amen, Comrade.
Amen.