Jul. 14th, 2004

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SNAFU principle

SNAFU principle     /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ n.     [from a WWII Army acronym for `Situation Normal, All Fucked Up'] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." -- a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly:

The Fable )

After the subsequent and inevitable disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.

Grabbed from The Jargon File.

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I think I just passed Jamie Gillis walking down Second Avenue.

Come to think of it, I think it was near where I saw Sharon Mitchell walking down the street many years ago.

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