Code Quote by Bram Cohen
“The mark of a mature programmer is willingness to throw out code you spent time on when you realize it's pointless”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast on Software Development, 2015
A mature programmer discards previously written code when it no longer serves purpose, prioritizing efficiency over ego.
In simple terms: Let go of useless code.
Key Takeaway
Embrace code refactoring.
Themes
software development
efficiency
humility
Mood
pragmatic
reflective
Type
technical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- project maintenance
- team collaboration
- learning from mistakes
Key Concepts
code quality
technical debt
Questions to Reflect On
- When is it better to keep code?
- How to balance pride and practicality?
A Different Perspective
Discarding code can waste time if not managed.
![“There's a subtle reason that programmers always want to throw away the code and start over. The reason is that they think the old code is a mess. [...] The reason that they think the old code is a mess is because of a cardinal, fundamental law of programming: It's harder to read code than to write…” quote by Joel Spolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f99/joel-spolsky-15347_cardinals_there-s-a-subtle-reason-that-programmers_814251.jpg)
![“I kind of pride myself on coming onto things that are well-oiled machines and finding a way to bring what I bring and fit in, and raise it to another level if I can. And this [Code Black ] has been another one of those really fun success stories, much like Parks And Recreation, although obviously…” quote by Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea3/rob-lowe-855_black_i-kind-of-pride-myself-on-coming-onto-th_6557.jpg)
![“[T]he tax code has been piling up, year after year, a symbol of everything gone wrong in America, of arrogant rulers and lost freedom, just waiting for us to pick the whole thing up and heave it away. It has to happen. Free people can put up with such laws only for so long.” quote by Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aed/dick-armey-16265_america_t-he-tax-code-has-been-piling-up-year-af_12886.jpg)