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Re:What is negative engineering? by sublinear on Monday December 12, 2022 @05:09AM (#33952950)
> They _insure_ the outcomes that positive engineering tools are used to achieve.

Ugh such a tacky abuse of words. Context around that sentence implies it should be "ensure". No, this is just yet another ad promoting gimmicky work for consultants to sell.

I understand HN is definitely the place to post this stuff, but I was expecting something more interesting.

Re:What is negative engineering? by PeterisP on Monday December 12, 2022 @05:36AM (#33953160)
The context around that sentence does quite explicitly intends to insure the outcomes because you can't really ensure it. I mean, the paragraph literally starts with "Insurance as code”.
Re:What is negative engineering? by helmholtz on Monday December 12, 2022 @07:13AM (#33953861)
You insure _against_ something. You ensure something. GP is right.
Re:What is negative engineering? by strken on Monday December 12, 2022 @07:38AM (#33954030)
If you're talking about the grammar, then the phrase "My car is insured" is fine. You aren't required to specify what it's insured against; that can be left implicit.

If you're talking about the language, insurance is wrong: retries do ensure positive outcomes. However, assurance is wrong as well: unlike retries, observability tools don't ensure positive outcomes, they just mitigate the negative ones.

It's just bad writing, using a tortured metaphor to explain a definition that doesn't make any sense.

Re:What is negative engineering? by giantg2 on Monday December 12, 2022 @08:07AM (#33954251)
You also drink ensure, if you're old enough.
Re:What is negative engineering? by OJFord on Monday December 12, 2022 @06:40AM (#33953587)
I think it's emphasised exactly to avoid it being misread as 'ensure', I don't read it as an intended pun. Doesn't really make sense to 'ensure the outcomes', you 'ensure a good outcome' or something.