Advantages

How would you explain in approximately 30 lines of written text to your boss or colleague how your setup will work? The diagram was made in approximately 15 minutes from scratch and gave immediate insight in what was missing. A further 10 minutes brought it to where it is now.

Don't be afraid to use this because your manager will not understand the source of the diagram. That's why you've made the diagram :) ... So it's easy to understand.

Creating diagrams this way has advantages:

• When making these images you'll use a syntax, you'll be gently forced to write correct diagrams.

• These diagrams are made for a specific way of communicating. Just what is needed.

• Working from the keyboard, describing functionality instead of burning litres of mouse-fuel in fancy GUI's will let you focus on describing your system, and not be distracted by nice colors, arrow shapes and whatnot.

  During a project specs or implementations tend to change when deeper insight comes. So focussing on content instead of prettieness saves lots of time. You'll be changing your diagrams frequently.

• Using plain text makes for easy version control.

• Using a version control system enables working simultaneous on a project.