Exploration Through Example

Example-driven development, Agile testing, context-driven testing, Agile programming, Ruby, and other things of interest to Brian Marick

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Mon, 27 Dec 2004

Two other writing tips

Substitute "damn" every time you're inclined to write "very;" your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.

That's from Mark Twain. I read it 25-30 years ago, and I cannot type the letters v-e-r-y without recalling it. It's (wait for it...) damn useful advice.

I also remember another tip from Ralph Johnson, from back when I was his graduate student. I don't remember it as well, but it went something like this:

Don't use the word "obviously". If the rest of the sentence isn't obvious to the reader, you've just insulted him. Why risk that?

I never fail to hesitate just as I'm starting to type o-b-v...

## Posted at 11:35 in category /misc [permalink] [top]

No Powerbook G5

The Powerbook G5 announcement has been canceled. Although my drive did die, I bought another disk instead of another Powerbook.

P.S. I've decided to opt for convenience over expense. Henceforth, I'm going to make bootable full backups to a Powerbook-compatible 2.5" drive in a firewire enclosure, rather than to a partitioned big disk. Next time a drive dies, I'll move the drive: Up and running again in fifteen minutes. And if my drive starts making ominous clunking sounds, I won't hang around waiting for it to die. Plus the extra planning and expense will ensure that no disk ever dies on me again.

Anyone else do that? Or do you have some other clever backup strategy? Mail me.

## Posted at 08:56 in category /mac [permalink] [top]