Good practice, bad practice

When I was young, I had a nasty habit of biting finger-nails. My parents tried hard to convince me that it was bad, I couldn’t' see what was wrong with that. After all, those are my fingers, aren’t' they? Before I tell you how I quit that habit. I got to tell you, how amused I feel when I think about it. To may amazement, when I get to see people writing crappy code around, I don’t' feel equally amused. Narcissistic SOB, I may be.

I most amusing part is the climax, where you confront them. You get to hear interesting arguments in defence. Some almost child like ones: "But the final affect is the same" or "It works, and what you are telling is not very straight forward". Some rather thoughtful ones: "It’s already tested". Seldom some arrogant ones: "Why doesn’t' he/she do it". Most of the times, the final result is a compromise. The times one sees beautiful code, one can assume that there is egoistic SOB down under. I like these guys. They write code as if they have discipline imbibed into their cerebral cortex, only to find that they can be as sloppy as your neighbour’s cat.

Now don’t' get me wrong. I know that people learn from mistakes. Adaptability is a virtue. The SOBs have had their share of misgivings. Remember the scene from movie MATRIX where neo jumps of the building! no one jumps the first time, not even the ONE. Taking shortcuts harms, but shortcuts are supposed to be short. It is like driving through city center. When you are new to the city, don’t' take shortcuts. Keep to the main road. That is the greatest shortcut. People tend to ignore the greatest shortcut of all, do your research, don’t' wait till you see the river, find out where the river is even before you reach.

A wise man once said that there are no dumb questions. Let me blabber about what I feel about "The final affect is the same". Well is it, is it really. We are forgetting the fact, that two months down the line, when some miscreant changes requirements or finds a new defect. I wouldn’t' like to waste my energy. Nor would I like my brotherhood of #£$$% (fill your own stream) to suffer. Most seriously, I am willing to spend two days right now than slog late into nights for months, later on. The final affect is on you dear, and you effect the affect.

For, "It works, and what you are telling is not very straight forward". You are damn right. So does walking. Why learn cycling or drive a car or take a flight. Knowing things is difficult, but when it can give some real soul satisfaction. Ask any teenager fiddling an engine. "It’s already tested" is the most difficult one to justify. The only excuse I have is that it makes you fall out of habit. For "Why doesn’t' he/she do it", trust me this isn’t' a flight to Moon, even that was repeated. (Or is it?)

The only difference between the nutcases who organise their stuff with the rigmarole of a fascist and the rest of the world is the same one between those willing to till the soil, creates a fertile bed and between other gatherers. All we are speaking of is some interest, planning, discipline and investment.