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   Chuck Darwin (cdarwin@c.im)'s status on Tuesday, 14-Jan-2025 03:38:24 JST Chuck Darwin

   • Cory Doctorow

   "Chesterton's Fence":

   Let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road.

   The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says,
   "I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away."

   To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer:
   "If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away.

   Go away and think.
   Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it,
   I may allow you to destroy it."

   Quoted by Cory Doctorow
   -- @pluralistic

   https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/13/wanting-it-badly/

   • Cory Doctorow repeated this.
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     SewBlue (sewblue@sfba.social)'s status on Tuesday, 14-Jan-2025 13:06:49 JST SewBlue

     in reply to

     • Cory Doctorow

     @cdarwin @pluralistic Engineer here in a safety related field. More human focused that pure engineering.

     At this point I have 22 years of experience. I'm a principal. What I see a lot of is Great Grandma's Brisket.

     Great grandma teaches grandma to make brisket. She cuts the ends off while teaching it. Grandma teaches it to mom. Cutting the ends off. Mom teaches it to her daughter. Cutting the ends off.

     Young daughter makes the brisket with pride while great granny watches.

     Why are you cutting the ends off? I only did that because my pan was too small.

     When I do research, I often find brisket driving a practice rather than clear and present safety concerns. Code was worded differently 30 years ago, safety equipment operated differently or didn't exist.

     In a way though, the point is the same. Someone needs to know their shit, to know if the cows are elsewhere or if it's the end of a brisket.