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0 pointsHermel9y ago0 comments

The title says "destroy all ifs". The author already did take the idea to the extreme himself.

0 comments

I can't read the author's mind and can't speak for him but I don't think each word (especially the word "all") is meant to be parsed literally.

Here's another website called "Destroy All Software" using a similar phrase: https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/blog

Gary Bernhardt obviously doesn't advocate removing all software from the face of the Earth. Also notice that it includes blog titles with more bombastic titles:

  "One Base Class to Rule Them All"
  "Burn Your Controllers"

Those are probably not meant to be interpreted literally. There really is no single universal class that can be used for all cases in every circumstance. Instead of parsing it literally, it may be a riff on LOTR "the one ring to rule them all."

Likewise, don't eliminate your controllers because he said it's universal advice. Maybe the title is a riff on Cortez "burn your ships" or some other cultural meme like women's liberation of "burn your bra."

rrradical9y ago

It's true. Personally, I took that to be a bit tongue in cheek. I would compare it to "GOTO Considered Harmful"-- where the author wants you to imagine a world without such a technique in order to expand your abilities. (Even though there are probably edge cases where such usage is justifiable.)

sgt1019y ago

The stance is rather different though - "GOTO Considered Harmful" as a phrase is both inviting a discussion and making a limited statement. "Destroy all ifs" is definitive; the argument is over at the end of the phrase and there will be no negotiation or concessions. I know that this is trivial in this case, but I think it would help discourse in the world generally if we could move away from this kind of position taking and offer our opinions more gently.

As a community we should reward more nuanced and open statements.

jasonm239y ago

Absolutely.

Simply replacing "ifs" with anything else.

I think it's clear how this is simply juvenile hyperbolic invective.

1 more reply

_asummers9y ago

"Ifs considered suboptimal" carries the spirit of Dijkstra and the general argument of the anti if folks.

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jasode9y ago

I can't read the author's mind and can't speak for him but I don't think each word (especially the word "all") is meant to be parsed literally.

Here's another website called "Destroy All Software" using a similar phrase: https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/blog

Gary Bernhardt obviously doesn't advocate removing all software from the face of the Earth. Also notice that it includes blog titles with more bombastic titles:

  "One Base Class to Rule Them All"
  "Burn Your Controllers"

rrradical9y ago

sgt1019y ago

As a community we should reward more nuanced and open statements.

jasonm239y ago

Absolutely.

Simply replacing "ifs" with anything else.

I think it's clear how this is simply juvenile hyperbolic invective.

1 more reply

_asummers9y ago

"Ifs considered suboptimal" carries the spirit of Dijkstra and the general argument of the anti if folks.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse