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Tool Rules

Friday, March 18, 2005

Just a quick note I scribbled down once. Nothing earth-shattering, but it is good to remind yourself of these things from time to time. The order is pretty much random.

  • You can't use tools that you do not have.
  • Mere possession of a tool doesn't imply you should use it.
  • If you have the tool you need, you should use it.
  • Obtaining tools is not a worthwhile goal by itself.
  • Money is a tool.

Two proverbs come to mind in this context. The first one turns up quite a lot in the software world.

When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

Sometimes it's put a bit differently, which also changes the meaning.

When you have a shiny, new hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

The second proverb is one I like very much. Applicable more often than I'd like.

It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools.

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Comments

(I) says:

That's a nice post. Tools can be anything, from a juicy piece of software to someone else's willingness to help you.

Saturday, March 19, 2005 8:42 AM

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