[ethbr1]

To me, the tragedy of rewriting is the underappreciation of why the gnarliest 5% of the codebase is there.

Occasionally, usually because initial requirements were sorely lacking or changed, you can simplify the system via rewrite.

More often, everyone ends up realizing they didn't actually understand that last 5% of edge cases.

And then you've either replaced the working system with a 95% complete solution (so common in modern software) or you produce a system equally ugly once you handle that last 5%.