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I think both sentences are ugly, but I think that's because "breaking functionality" offsets the simpler words in the idea. "They fuck up their shit just becaus

by unalone 17y ago

I think both sentences are ugly, but I think that's because "breaking functionality" offsets the simpler words in the idea. "They fuck up their shit just because they can", however, is smoother and faster than either of them. Swears have a certain poetry to them in writing, kind of like how oohs and aahs work in music. (This is my own opinion, mind you.) On their own they convey nothing, but placed neatly into a sentence they help the whole message flow. So I think I'm agreeing with you here.

scott_s 17y ago
Except "fuck up their shit" doesn't say what they actually do. It contains less information than "break functionality."
- unalone 17y ago
  "Break functionality" has already been conveyed. Repeating it is unnecessary and awkward.
  - scott_s 17y ago
    At that point in the essay, he had quoted the license, but that sentence is the only time he states what's wrong with it. It's not repetition.