A Claim to Simplicity or Purity

By Deane Barker

Someone may claim that their product or solution is pure or simple, in the assumption that this is a good thing. However, it may just be simply or purely bad.

Examples

Lays Potato Chips only have two ingredients. However, this doesn’t make them healthier. Remember, sugar only has one ingredient. Same with cyanide.

In software, there’s a tendency for vendors to claim that they made something “simple,” like “desktop publishing made simple.” However, this often ignores that some problems that the software is meant to solve are very complicated, and a simple solution isn’t enough. In technology, everyone wants simplicity, but they often want it to solve very complicated problems, which sometimes require complicated tools.

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