mcdonaldland

I learned a lesson a long time ago and something that happened the other day made me think of it.

I have always been fortunate enough to be one of those people who can pick up a new skill and become proficient in it very quickly. Because of this skill I learned a lot about a whole lot of different things. I never considered myself an expert in but a couple things but felt that I knew a lot about a large array of subjects.

When things came up that I “knew” were wrong I would voice my opinion on how it needed to be done. This, in itself, wasn’t a problem. What was a problem was how I went about stating my opinions. I stated them as if they were fact and as if they were the only right way to do things. At times I was right - there was only one correct way. Many other times I just gave one of many possible solutions. Either way I felt, but never confirmed, that I had formed a reputation for being the office know-it-all. I don’t remember what it was but someone said something to me one day that caused me to rethink my attitude. So I decided to step back and analyze myself and figure out what I was doing wrong.

The conclusion I came to was simple for many people but was a virtual epiphany for me: my being right about something doesn’t negate the possibility of someone else being right in a totally different way.

I started trying to make it a point to handle my disagreements differently and have found that, over the years, it has made a world of difference in my personal and work relationships. Before, if I disagreed I would simply state why it wasn’t right and give the “correct” way. Now, even if I feel that the solution is totally wrong I try to ask questions. I still slip up - after all I’m human - but try to avoid resorting to old haunts.

Asking questions does two things at once: it helps me to understand the mindset of the person I am talking to and it helps to illustrate an alternate route. Many times I will find that the questioning leads to an understanding of the original design, solution, or idea that causes it to make much more sense to me. Other times it will solidify the idea that the concept is wrong.

At times I still find myself being a bit abrasive. However, I try to always think back to my hard learned lesson and approach things in a more diplomatic way. In fields like software, where there are countless solutions to any problem, not boxing your self - or others - into a single solution will generally prove to be a blessing.

Government spending and/or increased taxes are not bad in and of themselves. What matters in every situation where a politician proposes these things is not only what the change will do to the individual and the company but what it will do for the economy as a whole and whether expanding or contracting these things is the right move given the current state of the nation.

In general, you can have some situations where taxes are needed to fuel government spending and some where they are not. In times of deficit there are not enough funds to cover spending, so you have two options. You can either raise taxes or you can cut spending. Cutting spending is the obvious first choice but will only work to an extent before you start losing control of the basics that our government provides, such as police forces, legislative branches, etc. The only option that remains when cutting spending is not viable is to raise taxes. Conversely, if the nation is in a surplus then raising taxes and reducing government spending don’t really make a lot of sense.

Likewise, government spending can be both a blessing and a burden. In times of economic stagnation government spending, when applied judiciously, can help to stimulate growth within the economy. However, overspending by the government can have the counteractive effect of helping to ramp up inflation, which then has a trickle down effect on unemployment and the general welfare of the economy.

The point I am driving at here is simple: government spending and taxes are only bad in the situation that they are used inappropriately. If you hear that a given senator, mayor, or city official wants to raise taxes, don’t immediately shut them out. Listen to why they want to raise them then judge whether their reasoning is flawed or not. Many times this exercise will reveal that the individual isn’t making the choice that is in the best interest of the people. However, many other times this will prove to be the right choice. Some praise Reagan for operating the country very well in a deficit while others praise Clinton for doing the same with a surplus. The ultimate goal is a zero state where spending exactly equals taxes, however in the inevitable absence of this near mythical zero state, increases and decreases in both government spending and taxes will be warranted in certain situations.

Saying just the right amount is an art. It is hard to say just enough to convey your point while not getting overly verbose.

Take for example a simple directive: “Go”. While this directive lets us know what to do it lacks information. Where should I go? Why should I go? Does this mean me physically or something I am supposed to do?

Update the example to this: “Go down the street, take a right, go 3.4 mils, turn left, watch for traffic, cross the street. go into Sav-A-Lot Grocery, grab some cookies, and come back”. This is very exact but may be overly verbose. If I already know were the Sav-A-Lot is then this information is arbitrary and doesn’t really add much to the overall context. This example does, however, give more information as to the purpose of the directive is.

Perhaps a median ground is best: “Go get some cookies”. The directive is meaningful, succinct, and has enough information to keep the person targeted by the statement from being overly curious.

The same thing applies to code comments. You should write enough so that the situation is clearly explained without going into too much detail. If you find yourself not writing comments or writing one or two words, this is the equivalent of “Go”. If you find yourself describing what the code itself does, this is the equivalent of the overly verbose version of “Go…”. Since the code itself offers direction, the purpose of the comments should be to simply tell what the overall purpose of the code is and why it is doing the things it does. This is the equivalent of the “Go get some cookies” directive. It is enough information to provide some help but not too little or too much.