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> Resist the temptation to use images. If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the proble

> Resist the temptation to use images. If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the problem. Not to diminish a great point, but there is no shame in a simple table or diagram, either. Indeed, given the ambiguities of written language, doubling down on an important point with a graphic or chart reinforces that point and can help broaden the audience.

lukas099 5y ago
I agree. > If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the problem. Or maybe I have understood it, and I believe that a diagram would help my reader understand it too.
civilized 5y ago
It's a parochial viewpoint. You can only believe that written language is the presumptive best way to communicate if you only participate in a narrow range of activities.
throw453566 5y ago
> If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the problem. This definitely depends on the situation. Whenever we do QA tests, it's much more effective to just take a screenshot or video of the problem rather than wasting time trying to explain it in text.
- greenyoda 5y ago
  But unless you add enough text to adequately describe the problem, nobody will be able to search for that issue later. As a developer, I find video repros to be particularly bad, since there's a lot of irrelevant stuff in the video that you have to skip over to get to the actual issue. If I get a ticket with a video repro, I always end up having to add a textual description for future reference (and to make life easier for other people who have to handle the ticket). By creating a video repro, you may be saving time for yourself, but wasting time for everyone else who has to understand what the issue is.

lukas099 5y ago

I agree. > If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the problem. Or maybe I have understood it, and I believe that a diagram would help my reader understand it too.

civilized 5y ago

It's a parochial viewpoint. You can only believe that written language is the presumptive best way to communicate if you only participate in a narrow range of activities.

throw453566 5y ago

> If you are unable to distill the concepts or thoughts into language, then you have likely not fully understood the problem. This definitely depends on the situation. Whenever we do QA tests, it's much more effective to just take a screenshot or video of the problem rather than wasting time trying to explain it in text.

greenyoda 5y ago
But unless you add enough text to adequately describe the problem, nobody will be able to search for that issue later. As a developer, I find video repros to be particularly bad, since there's a lot of irrelevant stuff in the video that you have to skip over to get to the actual issue. If I get a ticket with a video repro, I always end up having to add a textual description for future reference (and to make life easier for other people who have to handle the ticket). By creating a video repro, you may be saving time for yourself, but wasting time for everyone else who has to understand what the issue is.