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Re: SimpleFormatter Question

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Novice wrote:
> I'm sure this error is small potatoes compared to some that have occurred
> over the years ;-)
>
> I just wanted to get a sense of whether this was too trivial to even
> bother reporting. I'm getting the impression that my basic philosophy
> should be that no error is too trivial to report.....

The only error that's "too trivial" to report is one that is correct behavior 
of the program, i.e., not an error at all.

Allowing the question at all whether errors have a threshold of importance 
even to bother reporting is a "camel's nose under the tent" strategy. What's 
not reported cannot garner action. Where's the advantage?

And what constitutes "trivial" vs. "important"? The very definitions of those 
terms applied to bugs are suspect at best, controversial for certain. A heart 
attack might seem more important than a broken leg, unless you're the person 
with the broken leg, or the heart attack is the criminal's and the broken leg 
the victim's affliction.

Whether something is a bug is objective and inarguable. Either the behavior is 
as intended or not.

How you should respond to a bug is a matter of triage. Regardless of whether 
the heart attack is somehow more or less "important" than the broken leg, you 
still have to choose one to handle first. The rules to do so can be pretty 
clear without messy philosophical or political debate.

The most important management rule in triage scenarios, or any battle 
situation, is support the operator on the ground. It's good leadership to 
reward a proper action even if it fails. (We assume no actual dereliction 
here.) Of course, the best reward is to give that person the job to write the 
report on what happened, what failed, and how maybe to do better in future. 
Just make sure you smile at them and thank them for their true commitment as 
you give them the assignment.

-- 
Lew
Honi soit qui mal y pense.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Friz.jpg

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SimpleFormatter Question Novice <novice@example..com> - 2012-03-10 01:40 +0000
  Re: SimpleFormatter Question Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-03-09 21:14 -0500
    Re: SimpleFormatter Question Novice <novice@example..com> - 2012-03-10 04:45 +0000
      Re: SimpleFormatter Question Novice <novice@example..com> - 2012-03-10 04:57 +0000
        Re: SimpleFormatter Question Arved Sandstrom <asandstrom3minus1@eastlink.ca> - 2012-03-10 09:26 -0400
          Re: SimpleFormatter Question Novice <novice@example..com> - 2012-03-10 17:55 +0000
            Re: SimpleFormatter Question Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2012-03-10 10:27 -0800
              Re: SimpleFormatter Question Novice <novice@example..com> - 2012-03-10 20:47 +0000
        Re: SimpleFormatter Question Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-03-10 12:08 -0500

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