''"Simpler, but no simpler"'' --Einstein

When you grossly oversimplify a matter, you are violating the "no simpler" part of the above quote from Einstein.

Something should be simplified, but not simplified so much that it is too simple.

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Examples of oversimplifying:

'''Programmer says''': hey, we don't need a boolean in our programming language, we can just use 0 or 1 instead

''True you could use 0 or 1 to emulate a boolean, but using 0 or 1 is too simple''

* I'm not sure I have a problem with using 0 and 1. But this is probably not the topic to battle that out. -t

'''Programmer says''': we don't need a mouse, the keyboard is the way to go.

''True you could just get away with using a keyboard and no mouse, but mice have been proven to be extremely useful despite adding a slight bit more complexity to our computing experience.''

* I do think well-designed CUI's are more productive than GUI's for non-art/drafting uses. However, they take longer to master. -t

'''Programmer says''': command line is good enough for everything, gui's don't offer power

''True you could just use a command line, but a GUI, although more complex, offers more power, not less. You can even use a console within your GUI, at least doubling your power.''

'''Programmer says''': let's just use xml we don't need a database for our banking system

''No, you are probably going to need something a bit more sophisticated than simple XML for a banking system, sorry.''

'''Creationist says''': god created the world, the bible is the only absolute truth

''Well, we evolved, and it isn't that simple.''
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See also: AntiPattern, EinsteinPrinciple, SimplySimplistic, OverSimplification