2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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SNAFU principle
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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/snafoo prinsipl/ , n. [from a WWII Army acronym for Situation Normal, All
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Fucked Up ] True communication is possible only between equals, because
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inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors
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pleasant lies than for telling the truth.: a central tenet of Discordianism
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, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up
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so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a
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progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly
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adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the
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phenomenon perfectly: Inthebeginningwastheplan, andthenthespecification;
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Andtheplanwaswithoutform, andthespecificationwasvoid. Anddarkness
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wasonthefacesoftheimplementorsthereof; Andtheyspakeuntotheirleader, saying:
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Itisacrockofshit, andsmellsasofasewer. Andtheleadertookpityonthem,
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andspoketotheprojectleader: Itisacrockofexcrement,
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andnonemayabidetheodorthereof. Andtheprojectleader
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spakeuntohissectionhead,saying: Itisacontainerofexcrement,
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anditisverystrong,suchthatnonemayabideit.
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Thesectionheadthenhurriedtohisdepartmentmanager, andinformedhimthus:
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Itisavesseloffertilizer, andnonemayabideitsstrength.
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Thedepartmentmanagercarriedthesewords tohisgeneralmanager, andspokeuntohim
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saying: Itcontaineththatwhichaideththegrowthofplants, anditisverystrong.
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Andsoitwasthatthegeneralmanagerrejoiced
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anddeliveredthegoodnewsuntotheVicePresident. Itpromotethgrowth,
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anditisverypowerful. TheVicePresidentrushedtothePresident'sside,
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andjoyouslyexclaimed: Thispowerfulnewsoftwareproduct
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willpromotethegrowthofthecompany! AndthePresidentlookedupontheproduct,
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andsawthatitwasverygood. After the subsequent and inevitable disaster, the
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suit s protect themselves by saying I was misinformed! , and the
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implementors are demoted or fired. Compare Conway's Law.
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