Computer Proverbs

[Wilcox, Rose (ZB5646)]

<<"spaghetti code"---badly written source code that is too complicated to
follow easily.  I have seen, but only once, the term "pretzel-bending"
applied to the same.

 >>

Veering off topic into a personal story.  I have been a technical writer for
over 16 years.  In the past, not only were project coded quickly, badly, and
without regard to specifications, but often writers were put on the project
at the very end to create manuals that would supposedly help the users
navigate their way through the mess.  Since the programs barely did what the
users had specified, it was hoped that the creation of user documentation
would make the application useful to the users long enough to be fixed in
future versions, rather than completely discarded.
During this time, M*A*S*H was still on TV, and supplied the term "meatball"
surgery for operations performed quickly mainly to sew the patient together
long enough to live until they were evacuated to a "real hospital".
Therefore I created a slogan for my tech-writing team with a little sign
that said, "Meatball documentation for Spaghetti Code".
It didn't really catch on though.
:-)

Rosie Wilcox