Example code used in blog comment at http://robots.thoughtbot.com/post/185504560/to-self-or-not-to-self

verbose.rb

# An example of verbose Ruby code to counter the argument that
# optional syntax should be used as expressed on the blog post
# http://robots.thoughtbot.com/post/185504560/to-self-or-not-to-self
#
# I.E. the logical conclusion of this sort of thinking.
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  self.before_save(:sanitize_names);

  def display_name()
    return self.email() if self.first_name().blank?();
    return [self.first_name(), self.last_name()].compact().join(" ");
  end

  protected();

  def sanitize_names()
    self.first_name = nil if self.first_name().blank?();
    self.last_name = nil if self.last_name().blank?();
  end
end