3 ms·
Avoiding the Rewrite Trap
- re-thc 3y agoThe article misses the main point of a rewrite. It's not a trap. It fails to even dissect the why in the first place. The creators of the system and those indirectly involved know it best. The later anyone gets onboarded the harder it is. At some point if it lacks documentation, has quirks, is unfinished and the original creators are no longer around it's very hard to modify the system. No 1 wants to dig into a jungle they're unfamiliar with. A rewrite isn't about the system, the productivity or anything like that. It's actually about giving it a restart in terms of ownership if you've refreshed most of your staff since. The feeling of ownership not just boosts productivity but people's willingness to work and support the system without excuses. It's human nature. Now if it's worth it or how long it'd take is always a delicate balance. The article complains about a rewrite that 4 years later is still not complete. How do you know it wouldn't have been worse without the rewrite?