Code is run more than read (2023)
4 hours ago
- #software-development
- #user-experience
- #prioritization-hierarchy
- The phrase 'maintainer > author' emphasizes prioritizing the maintainer's convenience over the author's when writing code.
- Extending this, 'user > maintainer > author' highlights that software must fulfill user needs and provide a good experience, making user feedback essential.
- Incorporating operations, 'user > ops > dev' stresses that long-term reliability costs exceed building inconveniences, requiring production-ready simplicity.
- Adding business perspective, 'biz > user > ops > dev' acknowledges resource limits, revenue generation, and organizational goals beyond just user satisfaction.
- Common dysfunctions include 'author > maintainer' (clever but unmaintainable code), 'dev > user' (ignoring user feedback), and 'dev > biz' (ignoring business realities).
- Ethical considerations suggest balancing user and business interests, avoiding harm, and recognizing that 'biz > user' can lead to manipulative software practices.