A user's guide for the people API

I remember being rung up once for computer advice. Thirty seconds into the call, I thought I knew the answer. Twenty minutes into the monologue I put the phone down.

Conversation is TWO WAY. Language is there TO BE UNDERSTOOD. When you're dealing with someone who either (a) ignores the proverb "God gave you two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion", or who insists on redefining language as per Humpty Dumpty, the best thing to do is walk away.

Postel's law has proven to be a nightmare in practice. If you don't call out rubbish, people never learn. Let's replace it with Lennart's law - "Be strict in what you accept, but gentle in your error messages". From what I know of him, he's quite happy to go the extra mile to make sure you understand PROVIDED you treat him with the respect he shows you.

That's why I get very upset when people go on about "correct", or "proper", English. But I'm quite happy to insist on "standard" English. Without an agreement on what words mean (or their pronounciation), there can be no communication or understanding.

And "How to ask smart questions" is a very good resource. Just don't throw it into the middle of a helpdesk call :-)

Cheers,
Wol