“Just remove the duck” (2013)

#1

Post by tarikozket » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:24 PM UTC

“Just remove the duck” (2013)
rachelbythebay.com

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#2

Post by emodendroket » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:38 PM UTC

I guess this is probably the story she's referring to: http://blog.codinghorror.com/new-programming-jargon/

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#3

Post by agumonkey » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:43 PM UTC

Similarly, always give options, subtly worse than the one you want to see picked. See Dan Ariely's books.

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#4

Post by robmcm » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:45 PM UTC

Dilbert has this covered: http://dilbert.com/strip/2007-02-02

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#5

Post by kendallpark » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:47 PM UTC

agumonkey wrote: post #3

Similarly, always give options, subtly worse than the one you want to see picked. See Dan Ariely's books.

Could backfire. I knew someone that presented a bunch of options to a PM with very clear worse options. PM ended up picking the three worst ones.

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#6

Post by michaelmior » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:48 PM UTC

Battle Chess was a great game. I believe I recall the rook eating the queen as well.

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#7

Post by wilwade » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:53 PM UTC

NPR had a story about this in graphic design where it has the term "Hairy Arms": http://www.npr.org/2014/11/17/364760847/whats-with-all-of-th...

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#8

Post by mvdwoord » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:54 PM UTC

A story from the time recounts that Piero Soderino, the head of the powerful Florentine Republic, even told the famously irascible Michelangelo that David's nose was much too large. Michelangelo then hid some marble dust in his hand, climbed back up his ladder and pretended to do some more "chiseling" on the offending proboscis. While he did so, he let some marble dust fall from his hand. The pompous Soderino was fooled – he examined the unchanged nose and announced it was much improved and far more "life-like."

http://www.globusjourneys.com/travel-stories/italy/michelang...

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#9

Post by LanceH » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:55 PM UTC

This is classic military when presenting anything to an officer for review. I've definitely read references of it going back to WWII (intentional, obvious oil smudge on otherwise pristine rifle). It was frequently stated that no officer could leave a document unedited after review, so an obvious misspelling or two would be added. It's a way of life on the military, really.

Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)

#10

Post by icebraining » Tue, Mar 03, 2015, 2:56 PM UTC

agumonkey wrote: post #3

Similarly, always give options, subtly worse than the one you want to see picked. See Dan Ariely's books.

  Bernard Woolley:      What if he demands options?

  Sir Humphrey Appleby: Well, it's obvious, Bernard. The Foreign Office will
                        happily present him with three options, two of which
                        are, on close inspection, exactly the same.

  Sir Richard Wharton:  Plus a third which is totally unacceptable.

  Sir Humphrey Appleby: Like bombing Warsaw or invading France.

Yes, Minister - A Victory For Democracy