Re: [Gnu-arch-users] [MERGE-REQUEST] `make-archive' and existing directories

[Thomas Lord]

Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> PS: Note that it is generally much easier to convince people with
>     tangible arguments like this rather than arguing by authority
>     ("trust Me, this is the Right Thing")...  :-)
>
>   


Honestly, I never argue on matters like this "by authority."

The bug you refer to is that sometimes I argue from a false
presumption of a shared abstract vocabulary and mental model.
If you don't share that vocabulary and mental model then, sure,
it just looks like I'm saying "because I say so."


Well, I *almost* never argue on matters like this "by authority."
If a question genuinely calls for an arbitrary (coin-toss) answer --
and those are rare but do happen -- then (at least when I'm the
maintainer) "by authority" is the right way to decide.   The
reason it's the right way to decide is because it removes entropy
from the system.   Arbitrary questions are essentially aesthetic
questions.   If they are decided by literal coin-tosses then people
learning the system have to, in essence, memorize a random
string of bits.    If they are decided by the whims of one or a
few people, then people learning the system can "compress"
that string of bits (i.e., it ceases to be random) by getting a
sense of "Hmm.... which option would Tom pick?"

So, y'know, if you have to guess what color the bike shed
got painted at least you can make a good guess that "it's
probably that ugly shade of puke green that Tom is so
fond of." :-)

-t