diff --git a/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml b/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml index b84757389d..0d9482179e 100644 --- a/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml +++ b/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ - $FreeBSD: doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml,v 1.72 2000/07/16 20:39:43 ben Exp $ + $FreeBSD: doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml,v 1.73 2000/07/18 19:03:21 ben Exp $ This is the FAQ for FreeBSD versions 2.X, 3.X, and 4.X. All entries @@ -8834,6 +8834,83 @@ repository, rather than using the cvs program. + + + Why should I care what color the bikeshed is? + + + + The really, really short answer is that you shouldn't. + The somewhat longer answer is that just because you are + capable of building a bikeshed doesn't mean you should stop + others from building one just because you don't like the + color they plan to paint it. This is a metaphor indicating + that you need not argue about every little feature just + because you know enough to do so. Some people have + commented that the amount of noise generated by a change is + inversely proportional to the complexity of the + change. + + The longer and more complete answer is that after a very + long argument about whether &man.sleep.1; should take + fractional second arguments, Poul-Henning Kamp posted a long + message entitled A + bike shed (any colour will do) on greener + grass.... The appropriate portions of that + message are quoted below. + +
+ Poul-Henning Kamp on freebsd-hackers, October + 2, 1999 + + What is it about this bike shed? Some + of you have asked me. + + It's a long story, or rather it's an old story, but + it is quite short actually. C. Northcote Parkinson wrote + a book in the early 1960'ies, called Parkinson's + Law, which contains a lot of insight into the + dynamics of management. + + [snip a bit of commentary on the book] + + In the specific example involving the bike shed, the + other vital component is an atomic power-plant, I guess + that illustrates the age of the book. + + Parkinson shows how you can go in to the board of + directors and get approval for building a multi-million or + even billion dollar atomic power plant, but if you want to + build a bike shed you will be tangled up in endless + discussions. + + Parkinson explains that this is because an atomic + plant is so vast, so expensive and so complicated that + people cannot grasp it, and rather than try, they fall + back on the assumption that somebody else checked all the + details before it got this far. Richard P. Feynmann + gives a couple of interesting, and very much to the point, + examples relating to Los Alamos in his books. + + A bike shed on the other hand. Anyone can build one + of those over a weekend, and still have time to watch the + game on TV. So no matter how well prepared, no matter how + reasonable you are with your proposal, somebody will seize + the chance to show that he is doing his job, that he is + paying attention, that he is + here. + + In Denmark we call it setting your + fingerprint. It is about personal pride and + prestige, it is about being able to point somewhere and + say There! I did that. + It is a strong trait in politicians, but present in most + people given the chance. Just think about footsteps in + wet cement. +
+ + + How many FreeBSD hackers does it take to change a lightbulb? diff --git a/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml b/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml index b84757389d..0d9482179e 100644 --- a/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml +++ b/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml @@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ - $FreeBSD: doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml,v 1.72 2000/07/16 20:39:43 ben Exp $ + $FreeBSD: doc/en_US.ISO_8859-1/books/faq/book.sgml,v 1.73 2000/07/18 19:03:21 ben Exp $ This is the FAQ for FreeBSD versions 2.X, 3.X, and 4.X. All entries @@ -8834,6 +8834,83 @@ repository, rather than using the cvs program. + + + Why should I care what color the bikeshed is? + + + + The really, really short answer is that you shouldn't. + The somewhat longer answer is that just because you are + capable of building a bikeshed doesn't mean you should stop + others from building one just because you don't like the + color they plan to paint it. This is a metaphor indicating + that you need not argue about every little feature just + because you know enough to do so. Some people have + commented that the amount of noise generated by a change is + inversely proportional to the complexity of the + change. + + The longer and more complete answer is that after a very + long argument about whether &man.sleep.1; should take + fractional second arguments, Poul-Henning Kamp posted a long + message entitled A + bike shed (any colour will do) on greener + grass.... The appropriate portions of that + message are quoted below. + +
+ Poul-Henning Kamp on freebsd-hackers, October + 2, 1999 + + What is it about this bike shed? Some + of you have asked me. + + It's a long story, or rather it's an old story, but + it is quite short actually. C. Northcote Parkinson wrote + a book in the early 1960'ies, called Parkinson's + Law, which contains a lot of insight into the + dynamics of management. + + [snip a bit of commentary on the book] + + In the specific example involving the bike shed, the + other vital component is an atomic power-plant, I guess + that illustrates the age of the book. + + Parkinson shows how you can go in to the board of + directors and get approval for building a multi-million or + even billion dollar atomic power plant, but if you want to + build a bike shed you will be tangled up in endless + discussions. + + Parkinson explains that this is because an atomic + plant is so vast, so expensive and so complicated that + people cannot grasp it, and rather than try, they fall + back on the assumption that somebody else checked all the + details before it got this far. Richard P. Feynmann + gives a couple of interesting, and very much to the point, + examples relating to Los Alamos in his books. + + A bike shed on the other hand. Anyone can build one + of those over a weekend, and still have time to watch the + game on TV. So no matter how well prepared, no matter how + reasonable you are with your proposal, somebody will seize + the chance to show that he is doing his job, that he is + paying attention, that he is + here. + + In Denmark we call it setting your + fingerprint. It is about personal pride and + prestige, it is about being able to point somewhere and + say There! I did that. + It is a strong trait in politicians, but present in most + people given the chance. Just think about footsteps in + wet cement. +
+ + + How many FreeBSD hackers does it take to change a lightbulb?