Wouter HindriksJun 26
Kieran Healy
The Occam/Chekhov/Chesterton Razor/Gun/Fence matrix. Summer’s off to a productive start.
Jun 26 at 12:14pmIvory for iOS
Show threadDr Kim FoaleJun 26
@kjhealy i reckon spinoza would have loved chesterton's gun
Show threadRocketmanJun 26
@kjhealy argh my head hurts
Show threadJeremy KahnJun 26

@kjhealy

We need another row for Hanlon though

—'s Razor: do not attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence

—'s Gun: any "obviously incompetent" mistake will eventually be made

—'s Fence: warning labels like "DO NOT EAT" are written in blood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

Hanlon's razor - Wikipedia

Show threadTim KukulskiJun 27
@trochee @kjhealy i tried writing the column and got stuck.
O’s Rulebook: ???
Cv’s: — viz rule will be applied
Ct:
Show threada fish named dog 🎗️✡️♾️Jun 26
@kjhealy Occam's gun doesn't quite make sense, Occam's Fence is good, Chekhov's Razor isn't, Chekhov's fence is good writing advice, Chesterton's Razor is good, and Chesterton's gun is obviously false. Overall okay.
Show threadTheSilentHolographerJun 26

@FishNamedDog @kjhealy in defense of the razor and gun, "need no more than one" can be read as remarking that it's possible to stop once satisfied, not demanding singletons

"already being put to use" doesn't have to mean the intended use, and just existing can be creating unseen value somewhere. I imagined accidental environment shaping, like abandoned bunkers becoming habitat for novel fungi or radiation-eating bacteria

Though I admit, both are a reach

Show threadMike WhitneyJun 26

@FishNamedDog @kjhealy

I think a more reasonable version of Chesterton's Gun would be more along the lines of: "The purpose of a system is what it does" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_purpose_of_a_system_is_what_it_does )

The purpose of a system is what it does - Wikipedia

Show threadBillSaysThis: 20 Times Champs!Jun 26
@kjhealy you could maybe add Overton’s Window 🤣
Show threadD. G. FitchJun 26
@BillSaysThis hmm...
- Overton Razor: do not needlessly multiply points of view
- Overton Gun: if a point of view is possible, someone will use it against you
- Overton Fence: do not discount a point of view if you do not understand it @kjhealy
Show threadKelsonJun 26
@dgfitch @BillSaysThis @kjhealy Occam's Window: People who live in glass houses should not add more windows.
Chekhov's Window: Every window must have a view of something relevant, and everything relevant must be visible from a window.
Chesterton's Window: Don't uninstall that Windows partition unless you understand why it was added in the first place.
Show threadFish Id WardrobeJun 26
@kjhealy holy crap, all those boxes are good advice?
Show threadGuill.Jones, Honorary CanadianJun 26
@kjhealy
That's one heckuva matrix, Kieran!
How many pills are on offer, and what are their colors?
Show threadWolf480plJun 26
@kjhealy it's not orthogonal, but the parts that break the pattern are the ones that individually make the most sense....
Show threadIrenes (many)Jun 26
@kjhealy this is fun to think about, especially because we think some of the games that have done a sense of mystery particularly well, violate specific parts of it... https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-design-essentials-20-mysterious-games
Game Design Essentials: 20 Mysterious Games

The latest in Gamasutra's 'Game Design Essentials' series looks at the design lessons from titles in which 'the player must solve mysteries' - from finding secrets to wrestling with algorithmically generated content.

Show threadIrenes (many)Jun 26
@kjhealy (an old article that's a longstanding favorite of ours)
Show threadIrenes (many)Jun 26
@kjhealy of course, that doesn't make your 3x3 grid bad advice. as with any socially-defined rule, it's useful to know it before violating it...
Show threadbabble encatJun 26
@kjhealy Wojak's Razor: Nothing Ever Happens
Show threadEmma Loves ☕️Jun 26

@babble_endanger

Corrections:

Wojak's Razor: There are zero trustable entities on 4chan
Wojak's Gun: 4chan leads to mass killings
Wojak's Fence: There's a reason 4chan users don't have girlfriends

Show threadBredrollJun 26
@kjhealy this makes me laugh because I'm currently in Chesterton
Show threadMans RJun 26
@kjhealy Script writers really ought to pay more attention to Chekhov's Fence.
Show threadEmma Loves ☕️Jun 27
@mansr @kjhealy glares at a lot of "Mystery Boxes"
Show threadAprettyture!Jun 27
@kjhealy occam's gun is a phrase only rivaled by newtons flaming laser sword and i will absolutely find every chance to incorporate it into my vocabulary

-carrie
Show threadTim KukulskiJun 27

@kjhealy clearly we need a website to add all the laws

34: there is already pr0n about this chart

Show threadRich HolmesJun 27
@kjhealy What about the Pascal row and the wager column?