DMGCurmudgitude vs. Hackery
Beautiful stuff from Alex Papadimoulis:
A client has asked me to build and install a custom shelving system. I'm at the point where I need to nail it, but I'm not sure what to use to pound the nails in. Should I use an old shoe or a glass bottle?
How would you answer the question?
a) It depends. If you are looking to pound a small (20lb) nail in something like drywall, you'll find it much easier to use the bottle, especially if the shoe is dirty. However, if you are trying to drive a heavy nail into some wood, go with the shoe: the bottle will shatter in your hand.
b) There is something fundamentally wrong with the way you are building; you need to use real tools. Yes, it may involve a trip to the toolbox (or even to the hardware store), but doing it the right way is going to save a lot of time, money, and aggravation through the lifecycle of your product. You need to stop building things for money until you understand the basics of construction.
Not only does he nail this phenomenon beautifully, he goes further, and points out that replying with answer b generally has the opposite of the intended effect: you are labled "unhelpful" or "anal" or, "negative" or in his words, "a curmudgeon." And in the end, some other person in the room (or mailing list, or discussion board, etc.) will camly, quietly, and "helpfully" answer a.
Answer C
Unfortunately, Alex has done exactly the same thing in a different forum. Just like the "shoe vs. bottle" question has a third answer, so does his "enable vs. smackdown" question.
The reason that people say answer b is curmudgeonly is because, well, it is curmudgeonly. Tone is everything here. Nobody likes to be smacked down, no matter how richly they deserve it, and once you've pissed someone off, they simply stop listening.
On the other hand, if you calmly, supportively, explain that their question is rooted in a design that could be better, and here's how grown-ups do it, two things happen: the person who asked the question will actually listen, and they will realize that you spared them a much-deserved smackdown. And now you've taught them two things at once.