Re: Re: (OT) The Honest Cherry Bomb

Abigail-II wrote:

Bugfixes? If the code is stupid, and I say "Oh, you brilliant mind, what a wonderful code you've written", there's little chance the code will ever be fixed.

Horns of a false dilemma: it's not the case that the choices are either being blunt or lying. There is nothing wrong with honesty, but if my intent is really to communicate with someone, then that intent is not served by potentially raising barriers to communication by putting them on the defensive.

Consider "that code is awful and you shouldn't be doing it that way." versus "here's a better way to do this." If someone really wants to learn, they will learn either way. If someone is likely to get defensive, the first way will inhibit learning. Thus, if I really want to help someone, I don't start out by potentially making them mad.

Cheers,
Ovid

New address of my CGI Course.
Silence is Evil (feel free to copy and distribute widely - note copyright text)

Comment on Re: Re: (OT) The Honest Cherry Bomb

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Re: (OT) The Honest Cherry Bomb by Abigail-II (Bishop) on May 28, 2003 at 22:38 UTC
Consider "that code is awful and you shouldn't be doing it that way." versus "here's a better way to do this." Now you are assuming that that is either or. Many of my posts that are considered blunt (of course, tons of people consider anything I write to be blunt anyway) will also either show a better way, or have a pointer to it. Thus, if I really want to help someone, I don't start out by potentially making them mad. You do it your way, I do it my way. My advice on this and other forums is free, and people are free to ignore it. I'm willing to help people (but I'm not willing to spoonfeed them); I don't charge; I don't expect anything in return. But I will do it my way. Abigail	[reply]

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Re: (OT) The Honest Cherry Bomb
by Abigail-II (Bishop) on May 28, 2003 at 22:38 UTC

Consider "that code is awful and you shouldn't be doing it that way." versus "here's a better way to do this."

Now you are assuming that that is either or. Many of my posts that are considered blunt (of course, tons of people consider anything I write to be blunt anyway) will also either show a better way, or have a pointer to it.

Thus, if I really want to help someone, I don't start out by potentially making them mad.

You do it your way, I do it my way. My advice on this and other forums is free, and people are free to ignore it. I'm willing to help people (but I'm not willing to spoonfeed them); I don't charge; I don't expect anything in return. But I will do it my way.

Abigail

[reply]