5 ms·

I can't help but feel this essay is literally 100x longer than it needs to be for the point it's trying to make. This sort of long-winded, redundant writing see

by _x5ft 3y ago

I can't help but feel this essay is literally 100x longer than it needs to be for the point it's trying to make. This sort of long-winded, redundant writing seems to have gone out of style a long time ago.

DaveSchmindel 3y ago
[flagged]
smokel 3y ago
Perhaps I am a bit too cynical here, but I think that it is harder to criticize a long-winded article than a short bold statement -- thereby making it slightly more comfortable to publish. For a critical reader, it takes a lot of effort to read the entire article, then check that its flaws are not nullified by some additional arguments, etc.
williamstein 3y ago
> "Believe it or not, I tried to make this essay as short as I could. But its length at least means it acts as a filter. If you made it this far, you must be interested in doing great work. And if so you're already further along than you might realize, because the set of people willing to want to is small." I scrolled up and down quickly through the essay, and the above was the very first thing I randomly read.
- _x5ft 3y ago
  I find that quote rather condescending. It’s also an excuse in disguise.
  - 331c8c71 3y ago
    "You are special (if you made it so far)" part is a cheap manipulation imo.
grrdotcloud 3y ago
Maybe hard work has gone out of style? Yesterday I poured over two companies documentation. About 200 pages of their API docs only to find: Dozen of typos. Errors in versions. Conflicts in examples. Broken examples. I barely invest in this much reading but this time I did because I was trying to deliver and sure enough I'm able to benefit our entire product because of this effort.
- GavinMcG 3y ago
  By the way, and only because your comment suggests you care about detail and will find this valuable: it’s “pored over” unless there was a liquid you were dumping on them.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - projektfu 3y ago
    It's lousy documentation but it makes great coffee.
  - echelon 3y ago
    > pored over Let's change this. That's disgusting. Literally.
  - grrdotcloud 3y ago
    Thank you. I didn't know that was the correct spelling.
- KnobbleMcKnees 3y ago
  Do you have examples of 200+ page API documentation that doesn't have any errors or broken examples? Sounds like the law of small errors to me: https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_4_00.html https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_4_00.html
  - imran-iq 3y ago
carlossouza 3y ago
Although I enjoy reading his essays, yes, they tend to be longer than usual. I wonder whether he uses an editor to provide constructive feedback before publishing it or just writes and clicks "publish." Interestingly, I found that point missing: people who do great work usually have editors/mentors/advisors to help them along the way.
- andromaton 3y ago
  Scroll to the bottom. He always credits multiple people. I assume all of them read his drafts.
the_common_man 3y ago
Next you will say books are out of style
- _x5ft 3y ago
  How so? There is a difference between long-form writing and long-winded writing.

by _x5ft 3y ago

DaveSchmindel 3y ago

[flagged]

smokel 3y ago

Perhaps I am a bit too cynical here, but I think that it is harder to criticize a long-winded article than a short bold statement -- thereby making it slightly more comfortable to publish. For a critical reader, it takes a lot of effort to read the entire article, then check that its flaws are not nullified by some additional arguments, etc.

williamstein 3y ago

> "Believe it or not, I tried to make this essay as short as I could. But its length at least means it acts as a filter. If you made it this far, you must be interested in doing great work. And if so you're already further along than you might realize, because the set of people willing to want to is small." I scrolled up and down quickly through the essay, and the above was the very first thing I randomly read.

_x5ft 3y ago
I find that quote rather condescending. It’s also an excuse in disguise.
- 331c8c71 3y ago
  "You are special (if you made it so far)" part is a cheap manipulation imo.

grrdotcloud 3y ago

Maybe hard work has gone out of style? Yesterday I poured over two companies documentation. About 200 pages of their API docs only to find: Dozen of typos. Errors in versions. Conflicts in examples. Broken examples. I barely invest in this much reading but this time I did because I was trying to deliver and sure enough I'm able to benefit our entire product because of this effort.

GavinMcG 3y ago
By the way, and only because your comment suggests you care about detail and will find this valuable: it’s “pored over” unless there was a liquid you were dumping on them.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- projektfu 3y ago
  It's lousy documentation but it makes great coffee.
- echelon 3y ago
  > pored over Let's change this. That's disgusting. Literally.
- grrdotcloud 3y ago
  Thank you. I didn't know that was the correct spelling.
KnobbleMcKnees 3y ago
Do you have examples of 200+ page API documentation that doesn't have any errors or broken examples? Sounds like the law of small errors to me: https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_4_00.html https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_4_00.html
- imran-iq 3y ago

carlossouza 3y ago

Although I enjoy reading his essays, yes, they tend to be longer than usual. I wonder whether he uses an editor to provide constructive feedback before publishing it or just writes and clicks "publish." Interestingly, I found that point missing: people who do great work usually have editors/mentors/advisors to help them along the way.

andromaton 3y ago
Scroll to the bottom. He always credits multiple people. I assume all of them read his drafts.

the_common_man 3y ago

Next you will say books are out of style

_x5ft 3y ago
How so? There is a difference between long-form writing and long-winded writing.