Use Real Examples

This is a general point, not just a Wiki one.

In a technical debate use real examples (preferably) from your own experience.

The fact that someone cannot think of a real example to back up an argument suggests that the problem may not be very important.

Specifically, in programming don't use FooBar.

Absolutely right. And very difficult to do, in my experience. Most real world situations need major abstraction and simplification to be squeezed into a normal example sized box. One important attempt at an exception to this rule was TexTheProgram by DonKnuth. Does anyone know know the story of his interaction with TonyHoare at the beginning of that? And of how literate the result really was and how useful to people and for how long? Is the story already written up on Wiki anywhere? -- RichardDrake

See also TheImportanceOfFirstHandExperience, DataPoint?