undefined | Better HN

0 pointspatrickthebold7y ago0 comments

I'd argue it's not a mistake if there are no visible consequences.

If you get a production bug that takes a week to fix because the code is a mess you feel it. If adding simple new features is a pain, you feel it.

Now, of course, you might want to skip that, by learning from others, but OP is suggesting that you make your own mistakes.

0 comments

scarface747y ago

It is a "mistake" as soon as the work gets to be too much for one developer and the company brings in some more developers.

By this time, that one inexperienced developer gets promoted to "Architect" because he knows where all of the bodies are buried. Now one of two things happens. He brings in more inexperienced developers because he doesn't know what a good developer is and they keep adding on to the UserManager class and to organize it better, they add section breaks. The class grows.

If they are lucky, they get an experienced developer who tries to tell the "Architect" about proper coding techniques, management and the architect dismisses the critique as "if it ain't broke don't fix it"/"this is the way we've always done it". All of the good developers leave and you are left with only bad developers.

Then you end up with the "Dead Sea Effect"....

http://brucefwebster.com/2008/04/11/the-wetware-crisis-the-d...

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse