Worse is Better

Tags:
• philosophy
• code

A philosophy in software design that encourages simplicity over completeness and consistency.

It is contrasted against a different approach, "The Right Thing", in a text by Richard P. Gabriel.

Later, Gabriel critiqued his own philosophy in two texts, one written as the pseudonym Nickieben Bourbaki: Worse is Better is Worse and another as himself, slightly more defendant of the philosophy: Is Worse Really Better?.

In the critiques he explains that the thoughts behind the philosophy were not the result of careful consideration or backed by stable, relevant arguments, but a rather spontaneus brainstorm in an attempt to write an interesting talk. Instead he encourages a less "corrosive" attitude: "aim high, but make sure you shoot", encouraging people to do "the right thing" in their code, but still release on time.