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A comment on Do the simplest thing that could possibly work. Parent comment

Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by rendaw on Saturday August 30, 2025 @12:13AM (#45071867)
This sounds a lot like the apocryphal Einstein quote

> Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

And I found a similar quote from Aquinas

> If a thing can be done adequately by means of one, it is superfluous to do it by means of several; for we observe that nature does not employ two instruments where one suffices

(Aquinas, [BW], p. 129).

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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by ternaryoperator on Saturday August 30, 2025 @01:08AM (#45072049)
Not apocryphal. The article is referenced and discussed in this interview with Kent Beck[0]. As you see, the link goes directly to Dr. Dobb's--although the page is down. Search for "Cunningham" and the first hit takes you right to the conversation.

[0] https://blogs.oracle.com/javamagazine/post/interview-with-ke...

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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by placebo on Saturday August 30, 2025 @05:28AM (#45073245)
Really surprised there in no mention of William of Ockham - you know, the guy that made razors...
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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by threetonesun on Saturday August 30, 2025 @10:30AM (#45074989)
Ol' Billy Ockham never saw a world with six bladed personal razors though.
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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by nrvn on Saturday August 30, 2025 @12:28PM (#45075894)
To honor the memory of this noble man I am using a single bladed razor.
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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by alexjm on Saturday August 30, 2025 @08:38PM (#45079303)
Watch out for Occam's Hacksaw: Any complex problem can be made to look simple by hacking away enough parts of it as "not essential", saying you'll handle them in version two.
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Re:Do the simplest thing that could possibly work by manoDev on Saturday August 30, 2025 @09:26PM (#45079510)
The Principle of Least Action as well.
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