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> Predictions about what is "lasting" are very difficult to make :-) It's kind of sad when you realize that a lot of the code you write will eventually be rewr

> Predictions about what is "lasting" are very difficult to make :-) It's kind of sad when you realize that a lot of the code you write will eventually be rewritten or lapse out of use, or be replaced by something better. It's very hard to find truly "lasting" work in this world. Maybe research?

jedberg 10y ago
>It's kind of sad when you realize that a lot of the code you write will eventually be rewritten or lapse out of use It's funny, I actually get sadder when I find out code I wrote a long time ago is still in use. The deployment tool I wrote for reddit ended up lasting six or seven years. Some of the stuff I wrote at eBay is still in use today.
- toomuchtodo 10y ago
  I don't understand why that's sad at all. There's something to be said about code that works well enough, it is needed for a long period of time without being removed or replaced. We don't pine for bridges that need to be torn down every few years.
  - Can_Not 10y ago
    If my code shows how less competent I was in the past, then I will definitely want to rewrite it. Unfortunately, I've known some people who can't touch code other people have written (or have touched), even if that "other person" was themselves 6 months ago, without doing a large unnecessary rewrite, invoking a crazy combination of lost features and freshly reinvented wheels.
    - toomuchtodo 10y ago
      I think we can agree though, most code is "good enough", and there's always room to improve, refactor, and make it better. Even if your code shows you were less competent, it worked (hopefully)! A lesson was still learned.
nevertoolate 10y ago
Code itself tells a story. If the message is clear it can be built upon later by making it better based on new learnings, or new product needs. If it is a messy piece of crap it is better to be forgotten.
SixSigma 10y ago
> the code you write will eventually be rewritten or lapse out of use, or be replaced by something better. yep. try using the websites you've built as a resume even worse when all people look at is the UX and if you'r enot a UX person how to even show how goo dyour code is, how maintainable it is etc. I realised this to me detriment when my last employment came to a natural conclusion. I have no degree and suddenly no portfolio of active production code - all I had was one reference from a guy I built a website for which now doesn't look very good since the new guy butchered it. I invested in becoming a certified Autocad Operator instead and never looked back.
mynameislegion 10y ago
Open source!

jedberg 10y ago

>It's kind of sad when you realize that a lot of the code you write will eventually be rewritten or lapse out of use It's funny, I actually get sadder when I find out code I wrote a long time ago is still in use. The deployment tool I wrote for reddit ended up lasting six or seven years. Some of the stuff I wrote at eBay is still in use today.

toomuchtodo 10y ago
I don't understand why that's sad at all. There's something to be said about code that works well enough, it is needed for a long period of time without being removed or replaced. We don't pine for bridges that need to be torn down every few years.
- Can_Not 10y ago
  If my code shows how less competent I was in the past, then I will definitely want to rewrite it. Unfortunately, I've known some people who can't touch code other people have written (or have touched), even if that "other person" was themselves 6 months ago, without doing a large unnecessary rewrite, invoking a crazy combination of lost features and freshly reinvented wheels.
  - toomuchtodo 10y ago
    I think we can agree though, most code is "good enough", and there's always room to improve, refactor, and make it better. Even if your code shows you were less competent, it worked (hopefully)! A lesson was still learned.

nevertoolate 10y ago

Code itself tells a story. If the message is clear it can be built upon later by making it better based on new learnings, or new product needs. If it is a messy piece of crap it is better to be forgotten.

SixSigma 10y ago

> the code you write will eventually be rewritten or lapse out of use, or be replaced by something better. yep. try using the websites you've built as a resume even worse when all people look at is the UX and if you'r enot a UX person how to even show how goo dyour code is, how maintainable it is etc. I realised this to me detriment when my last employment came to a natural conclusion. I have no degree and suddenly no portfolio of active production code - all I had was one reference from a guy I built a website for which now doesn't look very good since the new guy butchered it. I invested in becoming a certified Autocad Operator instead and never looked back.

mynameislegion 10y ago

Open source!