[coldtea]

>Why does code need to be monospaced? I feel like the only reason we all do it is that it's always been done like that so it feels wrong not to.

Because alignment.

>The only actual reason I can think of for it is alignment, and that seems like a minimal benefit really.

Most programmers I know would argue otherwise, including me. Wanna try a poll?

>Variable width text is generally considered easier to read, so why couldn't this also apply to code?

Because it's only considered "easier to read" for general text (books, articles, etc) where you don't need to quickly see anything standing out of the ordinary, and alignment doesn't matter.

Even for traditional uses like accounting, "variable width" is not considered easier to read.