5 ms·

> the word “just” implies that an idea is simple. What's wrong with this? That seems like proper usage to me. What the author has an issue with seems to be sno

> the word “just” implies that an idea is simple. What's wrong with this? That seems like proper usage to me. What the author has an issue with seems to be snobby, snarky, or sarcastic usage of the word "just." Sometimes, the best answer is in fact "just add a DNS record." The author should just write that instead of this long blog-post that gives the impression of someone easily offended.

cryptoz 2y ago
As someone who has added hundreds of DNS records, there is absolutely nothing “just” about it.
apsurd 2y ago
words mean things. What's really the benefit of adding in "just"? Your claim is that people are too easily offended and so maybe these people will be (too) easily offend by the word. So what's really the benefit of using the word?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- TylerE 2y ago
  It adds clarity that you're proposing an alternate solution precisely because it's simpler/less work and not as a general alternative. It's a qualifier. think of it as shorthand for "Wouldn't it be easier if..."
  - kevmo314 2y ago
    Saying something like "would it be easier to add a DNS record" seems effective too without the baggage?
    - rocqua 2y ago
      Twice the words. But more importantly, if a DNS record is a bad idea, your version is likely to get a more detailed response. It can be valuable to get a compact answer like filtering rules or we don't have a local DNS server.
      - kevmo314 2y ago
        Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick indeed. I mean if we're really debating question length then omitting the just also works... "Add a DNS record?" is sufficient.
        TylerE 2y ago
        Your phrasing is unclear. Adding a DNS record could be an addition to the already proposed solution. "Just" makes it clear that it isn't.
  - chii 2y ago
    Yea, like "just let them eat cake"!
- mistermann 2y ago
  Group conformance yields substantial dividends. Disagree with people's heuristics too often and you might find yourself looking for a job.
interestica 2y ago
> Sometimes, the best answer is in fact "just add a DNS record." Why not (just) answer with "Add a DNS record." ?
- buzzerbetrayed 2y ago
  Why not either? I feel like that's the point. They both work. And insisting that everyone else use the version you like comes off as nitpicky.
- rocqua 2y ago
  Just in a statement is insulting if the other person has no idea why the statement is true. Why don't you just, in a question, is insulting if the suggestion is a good one. There is weird symmetry here.
Uehreka 2y ago
No, the problem is oblivious use of the word “just”. As in “just add a DNS record”, when said to an audience that has never setup a website. The idea here is that we (people who write instructions) are so bad at knowing our audience, and so bad at knowing if we’re one of the ones who are bad at knowing our audience, that it’s safer to just avoid using just entirely.
- vilhelm_s 2y ago
  It's not about written instructions to an audience who has never set up a website though, it's about an "engineer" and a "senior engineer" on the same team talking to each other.
yetihehe 2y ago
> The author should just write that instead of this long blog-post that gives the impression of someone easily offended. Just write a better article yourself.
miltonlost 2y ago
It's like in a math textbook where they say the word, obviously. No, it might NOT be obvious to your reader. See the story of Shizuo Kakutani teaching: https://curiosamathematica.tumblr.com/post/122398968526/obvious https://curiosamathematica.tumblr.com/post/122398968526/obvi... It might "just" be simple to you, but that could be with your years of knowledge. Write for your audience. If it's an informational blogpost? "just" might annoy people who do get confused because they think it should be easy. "Just" make the app. Step 1. Draw a circle. Step 2. Just finish the lion. Why can't you draw from my instructions? The same principle is why I try not to teach any game as "Simple", even when it is to me. Some people cannot follow rules to a game, no matter how simple, and then are frustrated when the "simple" game doesn't come to them. Why add that layer of negativity?

cryptoz 2y ago

As someone who has added hundreds of DNS records, there is absolutely nothing “just” about it.

apsurd 2y ago

words mean things. What's really the benefit of adding in "just"? Your claim is that people are too easily offended and so maybe these people will be (too) easily offend by the word. So what's really the benefit of using the word?

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
TylerE 2y ago
It adds clarity that you're proposing an alternate solution precisely because it's simpler/less work and not as a general alternative. It's a qualifier. think of it as shorthand for "Wouldn't it be easier if..."
- kevmo314 2y ago
  Saying something like "would it be easier to add a DNS record" seems effective too without the baggage?
  - rocqua 2y ago
    Twice the words. But more importantly, if a DNS record is a bad idea, your version is likely to get a more detailed response. It can be valuable to get a compact answer like filtering rules or we don't have a local DNS server.
    - kevmo314 2y ago
      Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick indeed. I mean if we're really debating question length then omitting the just also works... "Add a DNS record?" is sufficient.
      - TylerE 2y ago
        Your phrasing is unclear. Adding a DNS record could be an addition to the already proposed solution. "Just" makes it clear that it isn't.
- chii 2y ago
  Yea, like "just let them eat cake"!
mistermann 2y ago
Group conformance yields substantial dividends. Disagree with people's heuristics too often and you might find yourself looking for a job.

interestica 2y ago

> Sometimes, the best answer is in fact "just add a DNS record." Why not (just) answer with "Add a DNS record." ?

buzzerbetrayed 2y ago
Why not either? I feel like that's the point. They both work. And insisting that everyone else use the version you like comes off as nitpicky.
rocqua 2y ago
Just in a statement is insulting if the other person has no idea why the statement is true. Why don't you just, in a question, is insulting if the suggestion is a good one. There is weird symmetry here.

Uehreka 2y ago

No, the problem is oblivious use of the word “just”. As in “just add a DNS record”, when said to an audience that has never setup a website. The idea here is that we (people who write instructions) are so bad at knowing our audience, and so bad at knowing if we’re one of the ones who are bad at knowing our audience, that it’s safer to just avoid using just entirely.

vilhelm_s 2y ago
It's not about written instructions to an audience who has never set up a website though, it's about an "engineer" and a "senior engineer" on the same team talking to each other.

yetihehe 2y ago

> The author should just write that instead of this long blog-post that gives the impression of someone easily offended. Just write a better article yourself.

miltonlost 2y ago

It's like in a math textbook where they say the word, obviously. No, it might NOT be obvious to your reader. See the story of Shizuo Kakutani teaching: https://curiosamathematica.tumblr.com/post/122398968526/obvious https://curiosamathematica.tumblr.com/post/122398968526/obvi... It might "just" be simple to you, but that could be with your years of knowledge. Write for your audience. If it's an informational blogpost? "just" might annoy people who do get confused because they think it should be easy. "Just" make the app. Step 1. Draw a circle. Step 2. Just finish the lion. Why can't you draw from my instructions? The same principle is why I try not to teach any game as "Simple", even when it is to me. Some people cannot follow rules to a game, no matter how simple, and then are frustrated when the "simple" game doesn't come to them. Why add that layer of negativity?