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Edited 1 year ago

Does the KISS acronym call the reader stupid, or does it say to keep it simple AND keep it stupid?

I've always wondered:

70% the reader is stupid
29% simple & stupid
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@fasterthanlime for some reason I've always interpreted it as "you're stupid" even though "simple and stupid" makes infinitely more sense

Either way it's kind of an unpleasant word to have for what's otherwise a fine axiom

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@omni yeah the vibes of this acronym are off

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see, I'm not the only one confused.

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@fasterthanlime I always felt like it was implied that it's self-inflicted and not aimed at the reader. But that may just be me lol

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@therealdakotal @fasterthanlime Agreed, I generally read it as calling the author stupid. Like "look here, dummy, you don't need all that extra nonsense"

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@fasterthanlime I never liked the acronym, especially because it is not actionable. What is 'simple' is not the same for everyone, and calling your writing 'for stupid' also feels condescending

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@fasterthanlime I always thought it was calling the author stupid.

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@seldo @fasterthanlime the author and the reader in KISS are one and the same

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@eniko @seldo yeah sure, the question is: is it calling a person stupid, or the thing you're trying to make stupid

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@fasterthanlime the second. KISS does not come from software and the “stupid” is often replaced for better terms.

For example in diving, it refers that equipment should be internally simple (low risk of breaking, easy servicing) and very easy to use (reduced risk of misuse).

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@fasterthanlime, I've avoided the use of KISS acronym because of this confusion (and not risk calling people stupid). However, I've heard people specifically say it aloud as "simple and stupid" which I think is better in interpretation and in general tone. It's not like anyone can sue you for changing it.

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