Common Knowledge

Great Debates
1

Okay, suppose I introduce a topic that doesn’t depend on biblical quotes?

The story: Some time ago, a client asked for a very specific technical solution. I’ve done web searches up the yazoo, specced out custom code, talked to cohorts, tested about eight share- and demo- ware solutions, did everything I could think of to come up with a cost-effective solution and then … discovered that the stuff installed on the client’s server was already capable of doing what had to be done. Configuration is another issue, but I can do it with no additional software or capital cost.

The problem: Everyone has a set of assumptions, things we learned some time ago, have stood us well, and may have either become obsolete or have turned out to be completely wrong. More examples: always discharge Ni-Cad batteries completely before charging to avoid the dreaded ‘memory’ effect; ‘proper’ driving position is with your hands (considering the steering wheel to be an analog clock) at the 2:00 and 10:00 positions. The Ni-Cad assumption is wrong, there was a long and informative thread here (that I can’t find now) discussing the true implications; the driving position I learned in high school is apparently now wrong (according to the owner’s manual of that automotive beastie that I bought couple years ago); I mishandled the client’s request 'cause I made some assumptions about the capabilities of last year’s release of the software.

The question: how do we know what’s still ‘true’ and what should be suspect?

I’ve been thinking about this for some time, actually: a periodic reality check is obviously in order, but … how often do you have to do this? In the case of the client, it’s a year, maybe two at best; the others have longer lifetimes but how do you gauge the interval? Secondly, how can you tell if a bit of your common sense has become obsolete? This one is trickier, how can you tell when you’re blowing smoke and generally acting like an idiot?

Feeling like an idiot today …
-SN

SIG not found: (A)bort ®etry (F)ail

2

That’s what The Straigh Dope is for.

3

Depends on what you’re doing, SuperNerd. It sounds like you’re involved in software, at least to some extent.

The sad truth of the matter is that you have to update your knowledge of the product for every new revision, for every new service-pack, and for every new patch that comes down the pike.

Yes, it’s very time-consuming, and yes, it can get expensive. And frustrating. But that seems to be the only way.

However, good (read: “free”) places to update your knowledge are the manufacturer’s website, bulletin boards like SDMB, and newsgroups. Also, you may consider forming a “knowledge pool” of your friends, coworkers, and others who have experience in whatever it is you’re doing…send emails to each other, create a newsletter, and maybe even schedule a once-a-week chat. Hell, you could even make a web page and put a message board on it (I think that UBB has a free one that you can install…)

Best of luck,
David

4

I think you can find the answer to your question in the following:

The Book of Gates: Chapter 4 and verse 2

5

Of course - I depend on you guys to correct me me when I’m deep in the weeds off to left field there, you’ve been a great help many times and I plan to keep visiting here often.

This isn’t specifically software, cars, or rechargable batteries. The point is, if no one had brought up the topic of Ni-Cads, I would have blindly gone on doing the deep discharge thing and would have never had known the difference, if I hadn’t read the owner’s manual, I’d never know that by driving with my hands at … um … 6:00, I was still driving in an unsafe manner. How much more am I missing?

{Shudder} I bought the last book he put out, revised when he figured out that Internet maybe was going to be a big deal. Thing is, there was a CD-Rom included; I put it into my machine and it promptly spit it back out again. Didn’t give me a ‘Not readable’ dialog box, just ejected it out of hand. I took it to be a sign.