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4.6 KiB
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62 lines
4.6 KiB
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><title>SNAFU principle</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="../../jargon.css" type="text/css"/><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.61.0"/><link rel="home" href="../index.html" title="The Jargon File"/><link rel="up" href="../S.html" title="S"/><link rel="previous" href="smurf.html" title="smurf"/><link rel="next" href="snail.html" title="snail"/></head><body><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">SNAFU principle</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="smurf.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">S</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="snail.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr/></div><dt><a id="SNAFU-principle"/><dt xmlns="" id="SNAFU-principle"><b>SNAFU principle</b>: <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="pronunciation">/sna´foo prin´si·pl/</span>, <span xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" class="grammar">n.</span></dt></dt><dd><p> [from a WWII Army acronym for ‘Situation Normal, All
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Fucked Up’] “<span class="quote">True communication is possible only between
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equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their
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superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth.:</span>” — a
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central tenet of <a href="../D/Discordianism.html"><i class="glossterm">Discordianism</i></a>, often invoked by
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hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and
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systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive
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disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted
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version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the
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phenomenon perfectly:</p><div class="literallayout"><p><br/>
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In the beginning was the plan,<br/>
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and then the specification;<br/>
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And the plan was without form,<br/>
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and the specification was void.<br/>
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<br/>
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And darkness<br/>
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was on the faces of the implementors thereof;<br/>
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And they spake unto their leader,<br/>
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saying:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It is a crock of shit,<br/>
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and smells as of a sewer.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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And the leader took pity on them,<br/>
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and spoke to the project leader:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It is a crock of excrement,<br/>
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and none may abide the odor thereof.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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And the project leader<br/>
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spake unto his section head, saying:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It is a container of excrement,<br/>
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and it is very strong, such that none may abide it.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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The section head then hurried to his department manager,<br/>
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and informed him thus:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It is a vessel of fertilizer,<br/>
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and none may abide its strength.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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The department manager carried these words<br/>
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to his general manager,<br/>
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and spoke unto him<br/>
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saying:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants,<br/>
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and it is very strong.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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And so it was that the general manager rejoiced<br/>
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and delivered the good news unto the Vice President.<br/>
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“<span class="quote">It promoteth growth,<br/>
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and it is very powerful.</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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The Vice President rushed to the President's side,<br/>
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and joyously exclaimed:<br/>
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“<span class="quote">This powerful new software product<br/>
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will promote the growth of the company!</span>”<br/>
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<br/>
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And the President looked upon the product,<br/>
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and saw that it was very good.<br/>
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</p></div><p>After the subsequent and inevitable disaster, the
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<a href="suit.html"><i class="glossterm">suit</i></a>s protect themselves by saying “<span class="quote">I was
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misinformed!</span>”, and the implementors are demoted or fired. Compare
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<a href="../C/Conways-Law.html"><i class="glossterm">Conway's Law</i></a>.</p></dd><div class="navfooter"><hr/><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="smurf.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="../S.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="snail.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">smurf </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="../index.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> snail</td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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