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I'm not sure I agree with these definitions in terms of how I've seen it used. To me people tend to use yak shaving to refer to a side distraction project that
by fsckboy 4y ago
I'm not sure I agree with these definitions in terms of how I've seen it used. To me people tend to use yak shaving to refer to a side distraction project that itself turns into a hairy time consuming affair that doesn't really justify the small benefit you would get from it with regard to the first project; rather than a distraction from a distraction from a distraction.
Something like you need a string function that doesn't seem to exist, and end up rewriting the string library.
- ycombobreaker 4y agoThe wiktionary link in a sibling comment covers both use cases: the dependency chain and the pointless activity. I also learned Yak Shaving as a general "waste of time": you shave it, the hair is just going to grow back, so don't bother.
- fsckboy 4y agowhat I'm saying is, it's not a pointless activity, it's a great activity on its own merits, but it is work that doesn't accomplish the task you set out to do.