A tutorial on D templates

[Nick Sabalausky]

"Walter Bright" <newshound2 at digitalmars.com> wrote in message 
news:jet0kk$1h97$1 at digitalmars.com...
> On 1/14/2012 1:00 PM, Nick Sabalausky wrote:
>> "Walter Bright"<newshound2 at digitalmars.com>  wrote in message
>> news:jesl4i$30v3$1 at digitalmars.com...
>>>
>>> You and I are going to disagree on this.
>>>
>>
>> Dosn't the reader mean "The reader and I are going to disagree on this"? 
>> ;)
>> (only j/k, of course. Although I have always hated when authors say "the
>> reader" instead of "you" which is what was obviously meant anyway. I just
>> sounds bad. I always read it as a clear sign the author was trying *way* 
>> too
>> hard to be "correct".)
>
> I agree with your comment about "the reader" being pretentious.
>
> As for my use of "you" there, I was talking specifically to Jonathan. 
> That's different from writing a tech manual. Wearing jeans is appropriate 
> in a conversation.
>

Yup, just kidding on that like I said. :)

>>> But I will add that excessive use of "you" in technically minded books
>>> tends to, in my mind, reduce the book a grade in quality.
>>
>> The key there is "excessive use", not "any use". Eliminating excessive 
>> use
>> of "you" certainly improves the quality. But compulsively eliminating 
>> "you",
>> at best, makes the text sound pedantic, at worst, decreases the quality.
>> Either way, compulsively eliminating it leads to pointless contrivances 
>> and
>> awkward euphemisms like "the reader".
>
> The steps are:
>
> Novice: follow the rules because you're told to
>
> Master: follow the rules because you understand the rules
>
> Guru: break the rules because you know the limits of the rules

Very, very true.