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  • Matt Hall401matthall@mastodon.xyz
    Sep 1, 2026, 12:40 PM

    Almost _all_ the cost of software is in the future. That's part of why _any_ new feature is alluring. It _appears_ inexpensive from here. Turns out the cost is just unknown.

    YAGNI (you aren't gonna need it) doesn't just apply to functions, methods, or classes. It applies to entire feature sets that sound neat, fun, or interesting. Someone has to maintain that shit for the lifespan of the software unless it's explicitly deprecated which simply doesn't happen, in my experience.

    #dev

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  • Matt Hall401matthall@mastodon.xyz
    Sep 1, 2026, 12:40 PM

    I keep re-discovering that I don't write code for the same reason as a lot developers I encounter.

    A lot of folks seem to enjoy _writing_ code. I do not like writing code. It _is_ a great way to solve certain problems though and I absolutely _love_ solving problems.

    This leaves me in a position where I'll often argue against adding a feature. Not because I don't want to write it but because it doesn't _solve_ a problem. It usually relocates or obfuscates a problem.

    #dev

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  • Matt Hall401matthall@mastodon.xyz
    Sep 1, 2026, 12:41 PM

    I _love_ talking people out of writing code. The _thinking_ is the work. The _code_ is the literal codification of an idea. The _work_ was having the idea and refining the idea to the simplest model possible.

    I do not find a lot of folks who share my type of reasoning about software and development.

    Somehow the folks who used to _enjoy_ writing code now want the random-word-generator to write their code.

    They don't want to think, or write. What the hell is it the want to do?

    #dev

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