March 13, 2026
Slack or smack?
I beg you to follow Crocker's Rules, even if you will be rude to me
Cut the fluff, say it straight—comments erupt over office niceness vs blunt truth
TLDR: The author urges blunt, no‑fluff communication under “Crocker’s Rules.” Comments split hard: some say it’s harmful or context‑dependent, others claim it saves time, while a kinder camp promotes Nonviolent Communication—proof that how we talk at work shapes trust, focus, and outcomes.
Crocker’s Rules says: skip the pleasantries and tell people the blunt truth. The author begs for it—no “Hey! Hope your weekend was great :)” wall of text, just “this approach is wrong, here’s why.” The comments turned into a culture war. One poster half‑agreed, then warned the world would be worse if everyone went full blunt. Another slammed it as a “recipe for disaster,” urging people to learn real communication instead. A calmer voice argued it only works inside strong relationships—context and trust matter. Then the softness squad arrived with Nonviolent Communication and jokes about “giraffe ears,” turning the thread into a vibe check.
Fans of direct talk say fluff wastes time and trains coworkers to skim. Critics say small talk signals respect and checks if someone’s available; blasting in can yank people’s focus and feel aggressive. A spicy side debate erupted when a commenter used an ableist label, earning eye‑rolls and downvotes. Meanwhile, practical folks noted those long “sorry if I’m wrong” preambles hide the actual point—just state what broke and why.
Whether you want Crocker’s Rules or “gentle honesty,” the crowd agrees on one thing: read the room.
Key Points
- •The article advocates adopting Crocker’s Rules for maximally direct communication in professional settings.
- •It argues that pleasantries and disclaimers add noise, waste time, and reduce message clarity.
- •The author claims excessive cushioning trains recipients to skim and can undermine perceived technical credibility.
- •Preemptive apologizing and lengthy justifications in incident write-ups are discouraged.
- •Incident reports should state concrete causes succinctly (e.g., a mis-set config value) and avoid personal context.