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by disgruntledphd2 54 days ago
> every single new product category in tech always, no exceptions, insists on learning nothing from history,

I've worked in a bunch of industries and places over the years, and this is not just a tech thing. Like, there's a reason that saving a day in the library with a week in the lab is a pretty famous saying.
2 comments
joncrane 53 days ago
Nice saying. Another one I just remembered is "We don't have enough money to do it right, but we have enough to do it twice."
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giancarlostoro 53 days ago
Reminds me of the time a former employer which shall remain nameless paid a Senior Developer to spend an entire year coding something a $15,000 license from the maintainers of the original library would have given them. So lets spend 6 figures to save 15 grand or whatever.

This was a CTO burning funds, and that does not even cover the maintenance costs, especially as the original library changes and becomes drastically more modern.

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aleph_minus_one 53 days ago
> Reminds me of the time a former employer which shall remain nameless paid a Senior Developer to spend an entire year coding something a $15,000 license from the maintainers of the original library would have given them. So lets spend 6 figures to save 15 grand or whatever.

You argumentation assumes that the goal was saving money.

On the other hand, if the company's goal is to become a little bit more independent of this library (and their licensing fees), this approach often makes a lot of sense.

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vkou 53 days ago
You're assuming that the goal was making the company more successful.

On the other hand, if the CTO's goal is to grow his empire with no regard to the well-being of the company, this approach makes a lot of sense.

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snarfy 53 days ago
I just used this a few weeks ago, except it was time not money. And I'm on my fourth implementation because nobody wants to stop and actually have a plan.
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partyficial 53 days ago
what if kings attacking and burning down libraries of advanced civilizations (Nalanda, Alexandria) is a way for humans to reset the world's knowledge, because we got bored of our achievements and want to start from scratch ?
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