re: How evil is copy-and-paste?

["nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il" <nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il>]

Assuming that the reader is going to encounter               
both the source and the target(s) of the copy-               
and-paste...                                               

- When there is only a small difference in the text,       
  and the difference is neither positioned at the         
  beginning nor otherwise highlighted-- it's evil.        

- When the text is entirely identical, and the user               
  thinks, "This looks like something I've read.  Is            
  it a waste of my time, or if I keep reading am I            
  going to come to some new information?"-- it's evil.          

- When it reassures the reader that a certain aspect
  of the product is indeed similar to a certain other
  aspect, whereas a different phrasing might lead the
  reader to seek to understand some difference that
  doesn't exist-- it's good.


Mark L. Levinson
Herzliya, Israel
nosnivel -at- netvision -dot- net -dot- il

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