Fun read, but does anyone actually change their coding practices based on high-level essays like this? HN seems to be filled with a highly opinionated bunch, and I question the point of these musings.
I find value in essays like that even if they don't make me write completely different code tomorrow. Having design consideration clearly laid out and discussed is really helpful, imo. (Of course that varies with how effective the essay is at conveying its points and how relevant the points are to me to begin with.)
Maybe I've been thinking about similar things myself but never got around to thinking it all the way through or formulating actionable conclusions. Then reading the essay is just like having bits and pieces fall into place in my mind and having disorganized thoughts finally make sense, like a shortcut through the whole mental bureaucracy of forming opinions.
Maybe I've been having a disagreement with coworkers about something the essay discusses. Then reading the essay may open up a new perspective on the issue, or introduce terminology that helps us discuss things more clearly, or at least validate that we're discussing something meaningful that other people have also had to think about.
Maybe I've already been doing exactly what the hypothetical essay advocates for! But I've always felt kind of bad about it because I couldn't convince myself that I'm doing it for a good reason, and now the essay is making me feel better about myself.
Maybe the essay is completely wrong, but it's wrong enough that it provokes an expert into writing an enlightening comment on the details on why and how it's wrong, and how to be less wrong.
More people should write more essays, even if they don't end up as seminal blogposts that are cited for decades to come.
Perhaps you are using your intuition. I do let it guide me without overanalizing every decision but more like feeling it. Programming is also an art and intuition can play a bigger role in it. Engineering is the organized form but built on pre-existent ideas enforcing helpful boundaries.
I think when faced with too many slices in decision-making and decision considerations as you put it, it could become overwhelming especially if one is not completely sold on a certain ideology/opinion to fight for. Thats where intuition can be a good guide. However, intuition can do only as much, it needs to feed off at times with some external input such as this type of opinionated articles.
I'll admit I haven't necessarily changed my coding practices directly based on posts like this, but they do help me formalize the things I've learned in my own experience.
