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>>Most software at Google gets rewritten every few years. >> This may seem incredibly costly. Indeed, it does consume a large fraction of Google’s resources.
by alexandercrohde 8y ago
>>Most software at Google gets rewritten every few years.
>> This may seem incredibly costly. Indeed, it does consume a large fraction of Google’s resources. However, it also has some crucial benefits that are key to Google’s agility and long-term success.
Uh... No? Chrome, gmail, search, youtube, analytics, android, documents all usually have 2 or 3% functionality changes each year. What a ludicrous proposition stated so matter-of-factly.
- throwawaymath 8y agoIs it possible most software at Google is not Chrome, Gmail, Search, Youtube, Analytics, Android or Documents? Also do you work at Google? If you don't, you might not be able to perceive all the changes to those applications on the backend. The user interface may change at a more constrained pace, but it can still be true that most backend code is in a constant state of revision. For example, what defines "Search" in your example? The google.com search interface rarely changes (logo notwithstanding), but what do we have to go on for how often search infrastructure or processing code changes?
- alexandercrohde 8y agoLet me be clear (and I don't work at google). I'm not saying google doesn't spend a lot of engineering time doing rewrites. I'm saying if google DOES spend a lot of the engineering time of its 20,000 engineers doing rewrites that is BAD by all measures. Maybe it would explain how a company with 1,000 startups worth of "top-talent" engineers could not produce any new functionality in the last 5 years though (small exception of AI)
- wolco 8y agoThis is a good point worth exploring. If google has 1000 startups worth of talent (which is another point worthdiscussing) the corporate structure has clearly slowed down new functionality or new product ideas. It seems like it is 1000 times harder at google which levels the playing field.
- jessmay 8y agoImagine trying to bash Google developers when your personal website is Wordpress based and is still fucked and runs on an expired certificate in 2k19
- alexandercrohde 8y agoad-hominem much?
- steren 8y agoNew features is different from software change. A UI might stay identical while the entire software is rewritten.
- HillaryBriss 8y agoAndroid SDK's job scheduling APIs have been rewritten a lot over the last 5 or 6 years. one gets the impression that they just can't get it right.