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A comment on GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to DCLXVI. Parent comment

Re:GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to... by TeMPOraL on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @05:16AM (#21636992)
This is like dealing with that clueless newbie who desperately tries to help you, in the process creates a huge mess. You'd tell them to stop, and ask for permission before doing anything.

I propose a new term: paternalistic software. It's software that overdoes being helpful, and becomes annoying or dangerous. It's the software that does things you don't want automatically, because it thinks it knows better than you. Automatic renumbering and autocorrect both fall under this.

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Re:GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to... by JadeNB on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @10:06AM (#21638845)
> It's software that overdoes being helpful, and becomes annoying or dangerous.

It looks like you're trying to write a rant against Clippy. Would you like help?

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Re:GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to... by TeMPOraL on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @10:21AM (#21638997)
Clippy was annoying, but at least it was personified enough to serve as a single point of blame. But more than that, it didn't actually do anything automatically for you. It was kind enough to ask.
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Re:GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to... by majewsky on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @06:54AM (#21637488)
I used to call it "overly-clever syndrome", but "paternalistic software" is way better. Thanks for this word.
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Re:GitHub satanically messing with Markdown – changes 666 to... by asudosandwich on Tuesday November 26, 2019 @05:23AM (#21637036)
Sounds like my web browser.
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