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by sunrunner 457 days ago
The specificity reason is interesting as it relates to what feels like an assumption in software that all software components are neatly shaped boxes that a) perfectly encapsulate an area of functionality and b) can be placed into neatly shaped holes of 'required functionality', neither of which ever seem to be true.

The boxes are always weirdly shaped with odd edges, and the holes they have to fill are always oddly shaped. The code written to join the two is at minimum glue that seals the two edges, but also usually involves converting one shape to another.