6 ms·

"Legacy system" has negative connotations among developers, but really it just means a system which works and have been working for a long time.

by goto11 5y ago

_wldu 5y ago
This is true. I have heard security people argue that SMTP, POP and IMAP are 'legacy protocols' that must be ditched to better secure email.
- jhgb 5y ago
  Bread is legacy food. Beer is legacy drink. I feel like that about sums it up.
  - Koshkin 5y ago
    This sums up nothing. (You could go as far as saying that our own bodies are legacy systems. So what? What does that have to do with anything?)
    - netr0ute 5y ago
      > What does that have to do with anything? It means that "legacy" is meaningless if it can be applied so so many other things.
      - psd1 5y ago
        Semantics are contextual, and your legacy bread / legacy software parallel doesn't convince me. Is it a precise term? no, but most ppl here will have a good idea of what it means.
  - bostik 5y ago
    Legacy is any code you wrote before lunch.
- paulryanrogers 5y ago
  In their defense email is pretty inherently insecure with metadata and message subjects always leaking even when message bodies are encrypted. The fire and forget model is also a big contributor to spam. If email were invented today I imagine it would look more like an E2E system that put the storage burden on senders.
- networkimprov 5y ago
  Before ditching SMTP/etc, we'd need something to replace them. TMTP (my work) is a candidate. More at https://mnmnotmail.org/ https://mnmnotmail.org/
cafard 5y ago
Among salespersons, it means "that which we didn't sell you."
indigochill 5y ago
The reason for the negative connotations is when it's used it also usually means "A system which nobody really understands", usually because of lack of tests and documentation. Maybe the high cost to modify it is working as intended in some cases (don't modify this project, start a new one). But when the business expects the legacy product to be modified, then you run into trouble.
datavirtue 5y ago
To me it means existing code. If it has been accepted by the PO it is now legacy. The new code that was just accepted now influences any decision involving it going forward. Legacy.
- psd1 5y ago
  You miss the meaning of "that which you leave behind when you die"
Zababa 5y ago
My definition of "legacy system" is something like "you can't ask for help when you need it on specific parts of the system".

"Legacy system" has negative connotations among developers, but really it just means a system which works and have been working for a long time.

by goto11 5y ago

"Legacy system" has negative connotations among developers, but really it just means a system which works and have been working for a long time.

_wldu 5y ago

This is true. I have heard security people argue that SMTP, POP and IMAP are 'legacy protocols' that must be ditched to better secure email.

jhgb 5y ago
Bread is legacy food. Beer is legacy drink. I feel like that about sums it up.
- Koshkin 5y ago
  This sums up nothing. (You could go as far as saying that our own bodies are legacy systems. So what? What does that have to do with anything?)
  - netr0ute 5y ago
    > What does that have to do with anything? It means that "legacy" is meaningless if it can be applied so so many other things.
    - psd1 5y ago
      Semantics are contextual, and your legacy bread / legacy software parallel doesn't convince me. Is it a precise term? no, but most ppl here will have a good idea of what it means.
- bostik 5y ago
  Legacy is any code you wrote before lunch.
paulryanrogers 5y ago
In their defense email is pretty inherently insecure with metadata and message subjects always leaking even when message bodies are encrypted. The fire and forget model is also a big contributor to spam. If email were invented today I imagine it would look more like an E2E system that put the storage burden on senders.
networkimprov 5y ago
Before ditching SMTP/etc, we'd need something to replace them. TMTP (my work) is a candidate. More at https://mnmnotmail.org/ https://mnmnotmail.org/

cafard 5y ago

Among salespersons, it means "that which we didn't sell you."

indigochill 5y ago

The reason for the negative connotations is when it's used it also usually means "A system which nobody really understands", usually because of lack of tests and documentation. Maybe the high cost to modify it is working as intended in some cases (don't modify this project, start a new one). But when the business expects the legacy product to be modified, then you run into trouble.

datavirtue 5y ago

To me it means existing code. If it has been accepted by the PO it is now legacy. The new code that was just accepted now influences any decision involving it going forward. Legacy.

psd1 5y ago
You miss the meaning of "that which you leave behind when you die"

Zababa 5y ago

My definition of "legacy system" is something like "you can't ask for help when you need it on specific parts of the system".