[codingdave]

I hear two major problems in this story:

1) Mocking prior developers - there is nothing wrong with calling out bad code. But it should be done respectfully. We all write bad code every day. If you are not looking at your own old code and seeing how it could be better, then you are not growing as a developer. Having a discussion with the team about respect around code quality sounds like a good idea.

2) You need to accept that the team has changed. The guy who has been around the longest can often turn into a grumpy old man nostalgic for ye olden days. It might be a good time to look at the good that the new developers bring, appreciate them, and try to adapt to the new reality.

Between those two things, you can probably find a balance where they stop the negative behavior, and you seek out the positive, and you all come together as a team.