There's something deeply unnerving about ugly code, I don't think we can just say 'well it works'. I think we should maybe aspire to find a frame of reference

There's something deeply unnerving about ugly code, I don't think we can just say 'well it works'. I think we should maybe aspire to find a frame of reference for evaluating when to change and not. During development, I find iteration can be useful, i.e. when you have code that's 'hot in your mind' and can be re-worked. Another key that the article doesn't seem to reference is encapsulation. It's one of the most golden concerns in software. If 'ugly' is confined to a single function and doesn't leak outside - then it's almost pointless to re-write it. On the other end of the spectrum, if an API is 'ugly' it leaks all around the code inside and out. Re-write is more expensive, but could possibly be more worth it.