news.volyx.in

Who wrote this shit? (heltweg.org)

521 points by rhazn · 1712 days ago · 287 comments on HN

Article summary

The article discusses the transformation of a junior developer into a full team member, marked by complaints about legacy software and the realization that legacy code is written by people with constraints and limited knowledge at the time. The author reflects on their own experience of looking back at old code and being embarrassed by it. The article highlights the importance of understanding that code quality improves over time and that it's normal to look back at old code and think it's poorly written. This realization can help developers be more empathetic towards others and towards their past selves.

Main themes

  • legacy code
  • code quality
  • personal growth
  • developer experience
  • empathy and understanding
  • improvement over time

What commenters say

  • Developers should be embarrassed by their old code as a sign of growth and improvement.
  • Constantly being embarrassed by code from only a year ago may indicate chasing fads rather than actual improvement.
  • Looking back at old code can be a humbling experience, but it's also an opportunity to learn and appreciate progress.
  • It's normal for developers to look back at their old code and think it's poorly written, but this doesn't necessarily mean they're getting worse.
  • Improvement in code quality is not always linear and can be influenced by various factors such as constraints and limited knowledge.
  • Developers can learn from their past mistakes and use them as an opportunity to improve their skills.
  • The ability to look back at old code and identify both good and bad aspects is a sign of improvement and growth.
  • Legacy code should be viewed as a product of its time, written by people who did the best they could with the resources they had.