"Silly" probably wouldn't be the word I'd have chosen, but it's a good point. If I'm building a system, I want it to be quality work, and I don't want the programmer who has to deal with it in 2 years to be cursing my name :). Thus I sometimes become very concerned with things that seem to have "no business impact".
I think it might be more of a perspective difference than a language difference. My point was that there is often internal quality work that seems to have "no business impact". This obviously doesn't apply to the example you gave, but the truth is product managers and developers are often looking at two different "products". And there you're especially right on the mark. Programmers need to feel ownership over the product they created, which is not the user experience, but the code.
Arguing about small outward-facing stuff is just bikeshedding. In the case of the "n/a" versus "ø" debate, you should settle it with an A/B test, some paper mockups, or even just by manager fiat. If a manager's job is not to keep the developers away from unproductive ratholes like this, then what is it?
Arguing about small inward-facing stuff, like house coding style, is about control of one's own environment, and having a pleasant workplace. So it may well be a matter of human dignity and respect to let them spend "useless" time on it.
Does that make more sense?
thanks for teaching me a new word ;-)
