Best practice is bad practice

What is "Best Practice" — other than an ungrammatical catchphrase?

The expression should stimulate 3 other questions …

• Best for whom?
• Judged by what criteria?
• Who says so?

… but being a cliché it tends not to.

The expression is particularly inappropriate to advice about how to write well:

• Good writing should not skate over vagueness (unless efficient propaganda is to be considered good writing).
• Writing is a skill, so there is always room for something better (or just different). Painting by numbers is not the best art.

Comment menupadding Main menu