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Do the poka-yoke: building error proof software

3 points| wfriesen | 2 years ago |dontbuildsoftware.substack.com

6 comments

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necovek|2 years ago

I would say that the US/EU plugs which are symmetric are more resilient than AU plug: with AU plug, an electrician can connect wires the wrong way, yet with EU/US plug there is no wrong way: devices handle either polarity because the sockets and plugs are symmetric.

US plug has a drawback that there could be a live connection with exposed prongs, similar to two pronged EU plugs: both apply with flat sockets (eg. you may touch the exposed pins).

nicbou|2 years ago

The example is not a poka yoke.

A poka yoke is an implement that prevents or calls attention to an error state. It's shaping objects so that they can only be inserted a certain way, it's a flexible barrier that bumps against tall vehicles before they hit the tunnel entrance.

An enum is not that, I think.

necovek|2 years ago

TBH, this doesn't sound more useful than saying "make mistakes impossible".

No surprise it hasn't caught up outside Japan like "kanban", "lean", "stop-the-line" etc have.

eternityforest|2 years ago

Having a wordvfor it tells you "This is an established thing people do".

Saying "Make mistakes impossible" invites people to say "Lol you can't, and why do you want to help idiot users anyway". Part of the software community right now seems to think "git gud" is the answer to mistakes and you don't need anything else.