3 ms·

Come back in a few years, when you’ve written software at this scale and at this velocity. I’m interested to hear what the experience has to teach you, and to s

Come back in a few years, when you’ve written software at this scale and at this velocity. I’m interested to hear what the experience has to teach you, and to see how you grow as an engineer beyond this kind of uninformed nonsense.

userbinator 4y ago
I'm not the one you're replying to, but I've worked on software, for far more critical infrastructure than Twitter, that has run unchanged for over 3 decades. You only hear about the failures. You don't hear about the systems that keep on working. and to see how you grow as an engineer beyond this kind of uninformed nonsense. In other words, "grow as an engineer" means "parroting the lies that keep you employed"? As the saying goes, "it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it". And that explains the sad state of most "modern" software.
- kasey_junk 4y ago
  The comment specifically asked for advice on software that changed with the same velocity. It’s the rolling out changes part that adds the interesting risk.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- motoxpro 4y ago
  Seems a lot more straightforward than running software that changes every 3 days.
- justinclift 4y ago
  > ... has run unchanged for over 3 decades. That's a good point. For the software you worked on, is there some kind of public case story or similar that people can be pointed at to learn more?
- drewbug01 4y ago
  > that has run unchanged Exactly. Software that changes as frequently as something like a Twitter (or anything of that ilk) never has the chance to reach that kind of stability. Your thirty-year system wouldn’t have the track record it does under the same set of conditions. > In other words, "grow as an engineer" means "parroting the lies that keep you employed"? I’m not sure what kind of leap you’re making, but it seems breathtaking. In any case, you’ve clearly had the privilege of working on software under vastly different constraints and timeframes. That sounds fun, and interesting, but it’s comparing apples to oranges.
- ukuina 4y ago
  As a response to all the sibling comments, what need is there for Twitter to change every 3 days!?
  - drewbug01 4y ago
    “Need” is a strong word. I guess it doesn’t need to change. But new features == new opportunities to make money, if nothing else.
  - nikanj 4y ago
    ”There’s a bug, so we should rewrite the entire thing”

userbinator 4y ago

I'm not the one you're replying to, but I've worked on software, for far more critical infrastructure than Twitter, that has run unchanged for over 3 decades. You only hear about the failures. You don't hear about the systems that keep on working. and to see how you grow as an engineer beyond this kind of uninformed nonsense. In other words, "grow as an engineer" means "parroting the lies that keep you employed"? As the saying goes, "it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it". And that explains the sad state of most "modern" software.

kasey_junk 4y ago
The comment specifically asked for advice on software that changed with the same velocity. It’s the rolling out changes part that adds the interesting risk.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
motoxpro 4y ago
Seems a lot more straightforward than running software that changes every 3 days.
justinclift 4y ago
> ... has run unchanged for over 3 decades. That's a good point. For the software you worked on, is there some kind of public case story or similar that people can be pointed at to learn more?
drewbug01 4y ago
> that has run unchanged Exactly. Software that changes as frequently as something like a Twitter (or anything of that ilk) never has the chance to reach that kind of stability. Your thirty-year system wouldn’t have the track record it does under the same set of conditions. > In other words, "grow as an engineer" means "parroting the lies that keep you employed"? I’m not sure what kind of leap you’re making, but it seems breathtaking. In any case, you’ve clearly had the privilege of working on software under vastly different constraints and timeframes. That sounds fun, and interesting, but it’s comparing apples to oranges.
ukuina 4y ago
As a response to all the sibling comments, what need is there for Twitter to change every 3 days!?
- drewbug01 4y ago
  “Need” is a strong word. I guess it doesn’t need to change. But new features == new opportunities to make money, if nothing else.
- nikanj 4y ago
  ”There’s a bug, so we should rewrite the entire thing”