3 ms·
It's funny how it's usually easier to ditch X, and write Y from scratch, rather than try to improve X.
by axod 17y ago
It's funny how it's usually easier to ditch X, and write Y from scratch, rather than try to improve X.
- Jasber 17y agoI agree and don't think it's limited to programming. Considering business, it's difficult for a large established organization to make drastic changes. It's much easier for a new entrant (startups) to innovate because they don't have the same baggage.
- mechanical_fish 17y agoYes, where by "baggage" you mean "vitally important existing customers, users, and dependencies that will break if you change anything".
- Jasber 17y agoYes, I do. But that doesn't change my statement. If you're not willing to break your business to change with the times, someone else will--and by the time you react it's too late.
- jmaygarden 17y agoCase in point: Blockbuster versus Netflix http://www.onlykent.com/20100318/blockbuster-bankruptcy-2010-latest-news-and-shares-drop/ http://www.onlykent.com/20100318/blockbuster-bankruptcy-2010...
- dschobel 17y agoI think this affects version control systems specifically because the nature of the beast is to create a format to track changes over a long period of time. Changing that format is a huge pain in the ass and rarely worth it. In VCSes more than in regular software, you really have to get the design right very early in the process.
- roc 17y agoWhen an improvement comes from a new mental model of the data/problem, it's at least as much work to fix X as to write Y from scratch. Generally much more, as you must figure out how/whether to interface old features to the new model. Similarly, in the case of changing mental models, most users and even developers of X won't be ready for Y when you write it. Trying to force the change onto those people will harm X and handicap acceptance of Y by confusing the Case For Y with the Case Against Killing X. So it's hardly surprising.