> Rules aren’t All Bad I don't see http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3223-the-end-of-formality http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3223-the-end-of-formality mentioning

> Rules aren’t All Bad I don't see http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3223-the-end-of-formality http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3223-the-end-of-formality mentioning "all rules are bad". It specifically mentions the kind of business formality they/he considers bad. >> When did you last hear a programmer or designer clamor to wear a suit to work? >> No more personal secretaries, memos on official letterhead, meetings that must happen in person. >> We wear the same clothes, use the same technology. It’s a liberation of the mind and it’s the new world order. If there was a point comparing business formalities with teaching a child formalities, I am completely missing it. All analogies, by definition, are inexact(or else they won't be called analogies), but this one isn't an analogy; it's more like a strawman. The blog post author is deliberately ignoring that DHH's blog is specifically talking about pointless, bureaucratic bullshit viz. forcing programmers to wear suits. That is in no way analogous to teaching a child to say please and thank-you. > You get your tasks accomplished, listen to your boss. Why do we do those things? Because it’s a formality, but we have to do it. I won't say accomplishing tasks is a formality. But more importantly, I would rather not discuss it as the author again deliberately ignores that DHH's blog is talking about a very specific set of business formalities and accomplishing tasks isn't one of them. Also, depending on the economy and my personal beliefs, "listening to your boss" formality is very limited. If you come over to my desk and ask me not to use vim as we are trying to standardize text editors, I would politely ask you to take a laxative, take a dump and then come back when you aren't full of shit, or don't come back at all. > The thing that DHH (and almost all other internet celebs) forget is that they are speaking from a position of privilege. They’ve ‘made’ it and thus can afford to say anything they want while they race expensive cars. While I have a successful web design business, I’m 100% willing to admit that I’d take pretty much any job that wasn’t morally objectionably to keep a roof over my kids head. What's the fixation with strawman? What exactly is the author responding to? All I see in DHH's blog post is he doesn't like business formality.