No, i'm not talking about Prokofy Neva's psyche.

Or even my face, which is currently attempting to regenerate a huge hole in one cheek caused by some mo-cap going a bit haywire when we test-fired a few authentic renaissance pistols and muskets.  The chunk of actual debris has now been torn out though (by me, since the doctor refused), so healing-proper can begin. Still, i'm currently even uglier than usual until fully healed and even then, the local hospital expect me to "scar quite significantly".  I expect to scar quite insignificantly on the grounds that scars on me tend to be distinctly underhwelming but either way, i doubt if i'll be any prettier.

No, the current unprettiness is something my colleague Ben is about to experience.  You see, he's just drafted a requirements document for Travel in the Faith galaxy and it's a big, big topic.  Normally i'd sympathize and back off - since what he's done is actually pretty good with only a low number errors that would make the system unfit for purpose if we rushed ahead and coded them in.  I know, i know, you're thinking "what?  unfit for purpose?  game-breaking?  Sure a professional wouldn't make that kind of error?" to which i respond "you are an imbecile and i cannot be bothered to hit you, so please run at my fist as fast as you can".

Of course professionals make that kind of error.  Only amateurs assume that they don't make those errors.  The purpose of review is to find and annihilate as many errors as possible, and then we will review again and hopefully nail a few more.  However many reviews we do (three is usually optimum) we're never going to find all the errors and some will make it out past unit-testing and into end-to-end testing.  Some might even make it into User Acceptance Testing or to Release Candidates.  We hope not, of course, but have to assume that they will.

Most errors are not bugs in code, they are design errors.  This is a truth that only programmers accept - most analysts and designers would deny it vigorously.

So Ben's going to feel a bit put through the wringer over the next week or so.  I'm certain he's as used to that as i am, although that doesn't make it any nicer.  But i just wanted to publically say - good job there, Ben.  And i mean it, whatever insults i may hurl your way over the next few days.