Warning to world.

[kickaha]

The next self-proclaimed developer that says to me "The code is the documentation" gets my foot up their ass.

The code is syntax.

Documentation is semantics.

Stop confusing the two, you morons.

And saying so *smugly*, like it's a badge of honor to be obtuse and dense, will get my foot rotated 90deg, then pulled out without benefit of en pointe.

Comments

[earth-mystic.livejournal.com]

Here here!

Assmunches! (them, not you)

[franktheavenger.livejournal.com]

They're not confusing anything, they just don't want to write the documentation.

I thought you knew programmers? :p

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Lazy fuckers.

[franktheavenger.livejournal.com]

Well, lazy anyway. ;)

[badger.livejournal.com]

And as long as they keep getting that wrong, I have more work to do. This is my quest :).

[georgmi.livejournal.com]

Here's an interesting news article, a few months old, but still relevant:

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+offers+up+source+code+in+EC+dispute/2100-1014_3-6030879.html?tag=nefd.top

A quote from said article:

"The Windows source code is the ultimate documentation of Windows Server technologies. With this step our goal is to resolve all questions about the sufficiency of our technical documentation," Brad Smith, Microsoft general counsel, said in a statement.

I am constrained from commenting on this story, but I believe I'm within my rights to call your attention to it.

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Really, no commentary is necessary, is it?

[georgmi.livejournal.com]

Comment may not be _necessary_, but I _really, really_ WANT to say something.

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

I already said my piece with my wallet and bought a Mac. :)

It's funny... people seem surprised when they find out about the CS PhD *and* being a Mac user. Well duh, that's *WHY* I use one.

*points to article you linked to* That. Right there. I know too much about the innards of the technology and the processes at MS to trust their products. I've had too much exposure to good UIs to ever want to put myself through using theirs. These problems aren't singular to MS by any means, but I've found that they're a lot less rampant on my choice of OS.

Meh. Just glad I don't have to deal with it anymore than I have to.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to doing the research to make the whole issue moot. ;)

[georgmi.livejournal.com]

Hey now, there's nothing wrong with the Windows UI that one can't overcome with fifteen years of living with it 60+ hours a week. (This will also ruin your ability to work with a different OS because your expectations change from "What makes sense?" to "What would Windows do?")

Also, hardware aside, OS X would cost me $200, and XP Pro costs me $30. I am nothing if not a cheap bastard.

PS Let me know if your developer interactions require you to borrow my harness boots. They've been sadly idle since I left MS three years ago and stopped having to deal with devs myself. All I ask is you clean them off before you give them back.

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Naw, OS X is free with the machine. ;) (I know, I know... the Apple tax has dropped significantly recently though - in some cases they buggers are cheaper than a comparable Dell box, for god's sake.)

I agree with you on the expectations though - it's interesting to walk prior Windows users through the UI sometimes. They seem highly skeptical when I can list about 10 guidelines for them that will let them do darned near anything on the machine... but it really does make sense, frighteningly enough. *shrug*

And I'll let you know Monday night if I need the boots. Code review on Monday afternoon, y'see...