Paul Fenwick
Please, I'm begging you, especially in tech: stop using the word "trivial" to mean "possible".
Sep 23, 2023 at 11:30pmWeb
Show threadDavid BellSep 24, 2023
@pjf AlexJS is a terrific linter for this sort of thing: https://alexjs.com/
alex: Catch insensitive, inconsiderate writing

Whether your own or someone else’s writing, alex helps you find gender favouring, polarising, race related, religion inconsiderate, or other unequal phrasing.

alex
Show threadEl GordoSep 24, 2023
@pjf I've probably been guilty of this. What I mean by it is very different than the probable result, but I've come to realize there are better ways to encourage people to try things than to possibly lead them blindly into frustration.
Show threadGrant Me StrengthSep 24, 2023
@pjf @mos_8502 saying “trivial”, “simple” or “easy” is a firing offence in our docs.
Show threadStudio 8502 Sep 24, 2023
@GrantMeStrength @pjf I like “reasonably straightforward”.
Show threadGrant Me StrengthSep 24, 2023
@mos_8502 @pjf we settled on “a trained chimp could probably instantiate this control using C# to an acceptable level”.
Show threadChris TurnbowSep 24, 2023

@pjf

That request is... non-trivial

Show threadMiles GoodhewSep 24, 2023
@pjf I'm sorry, but that's imtrivial.
Show threadKen ScamblerSep 24, 2023
@pjf "non-trivial" means "impossible" too, which is fun
Show threadKakafonous A. DiscordSep 24, 2023
@pjf on a similar token, I often say "it's not easy, but it's straightforward"
Show threadDr. Kai BlinSep 24, 2023
@pjf I blame maths courses for warping the definition of trivial. The amount of "The proof is trivial and thus your homework" I got for things that were barely even possible certainly shifted my perception of trivial as a student.