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>If you write a post for experienced Linux users about using Linux, do you generally write "first, install package xyz with Advanced Package Tool (APT)", or "sw
by mtlynch 4y ago
>If you write a post for experienced Linux users about using Linux, do you generally write "first, install package xyz with Advanced Package Tool (APT)", or "switch to a Terminal TYpewriter (TTY)" or "Run the following Bourne Again SHell (BASH) script"? "Extract this Tape ARchive (TAR) ball"?
I agree that GP's rule doesn't apply in all cases (and they did say "rule of thumb," which implies imprecision), but I think it applies to this blog post. The author explains Big-O notation and Turing Machines, but uses the abbreviation SAT without explaining what it means.
The inconsistency is a symptom of the author forgetting to think through their intended audience and what they can be assumed to know already. I see this often on technical blog posts, and it's unfortunate because it's easily fixable.
If the author is trying to reach the type of reader who doesn't immediately recognize terms like "Big-O" or "Turing Machine," then they need to explain SAT more.
- khaki54 4y agoAgree, I could follow everything in the article, but was like wtf is SAT, especially since it's in the title of the article. I imagine a big crossection of folks had no clue, hence the comments section. As for the previous commenter, all of their examples are pretty much irrelevant to what you are trying to do. A random Linux tutorial doesn't need to spell out CLI acronyms, but if you write an article "Hacking Bash for fun and profit" it's expected you put one paragraph background on bash, and explain the acronym.