In Software: Simplify, Simplify

Beware the "Analysis Paralysis" tarpit ...<p>Ever notice how every simple (simplistic) piece of advice that's obviously true has an equally simple (simplistic) piece of advice that's obviously true, and exactly opposite.<p>"He who hesitates is lost" vs "Look before you leap"<p>Yes, code should be simple, but sometimes it can only get that way <i>after</i> you've written the wrong version. Sometimes it's only then that you really understand the problem.

While reading all the lengths he was considering going to to make the thing blink, I just assumed an animated .gif was not an option. Seems pretty darn obvious.

I just spent five days researching how to generate PDFs dynamically or alternatively how to fill PDF forms dynamically from a server-side script. Just so anyone who purchased a ticket to our concert can print it out themselves (the ticket will include a barcode which can be scanned using a mobile phone with Java and a camera).<p>Then it dawned on me that I could simply point them to a (HTML) page which they can print out. Believe me, I felt stupid.<p>(But at least I learned about PDF forms, (X)FDF, and JavaScript in PDFs. Oh well...)

It's easier to find the simpler solution after you implement the complex solution.