[erikpukinskis]

> Truth is, it works

Yes, that’s “value” in an important sense. But people rarely add in the opportunity cost.

We make decisions every week about what can be done based on the tech debt involved. Every time we punt on an improvement, that’s a real cost. These boondoggles that forever wall off parts of the product as immutable have a cost week after week. What’s the net value after you subtract that cost? Is there any?

[B1FF_PSUVM]

"Evolution in action" is what comes to mind reading alxlaz's detailed, cathartic (I hope ;-), lamentation.

[alxlaz]

I meant it more like a recollection than a lamentation, but it was cathartic here and there :-).

I don't know if it's obvious from it, so I'd rather spell it out -- there are times when "turds" are useful and not to be disdained, much like their real-word cousins: cow dung can be a good construction material and a useful fuel. Certainly worse than concrete and uranium but if that's all you can find or all you can afford, it sure beats eating raw meat and sleeping under the stars.

This isn't true of every piece of software shit in existence, though. Sometimes, "but it works" is just a bad excuse.