Fuck It Principle

In software development, being able to say fuck it, and not implementing the not-so-important features is a good thing.

By saying Fuck It(TM):

• There’s less code to debug.
• There’s less features to unit test and functional test.
• Security schema protects less things.
• There’s less complication (in an already complex application). See: Feature Creep
• Deadline does not get pushed further and further.
• It prevents a decently good idea becoming stupid, by having too much features.

As a reminder, I must never ever attempt to add too much Cruft.

Fuck It is more or less similar to YAGNI, as 1 reader pointed out.

Hope this post can be a helpful reminder for readers as well.

References:

• CRUFT – Wikipedia
• YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It) – Wikipedia
• Snowball Effect – Wikipedia
• Feature Creep – Wikipedia

Video: Nerds 2.0.1

Finally, I’ve been scrounging the internet for quite some times to find this video.

PBS uploaded Nerds 2.0.1 on Google video on January 12th, 2007.

It is a 3 part videos. Hope readers enjoy them.

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

Still-Computer-Related: I am launching another blog…

It is called Classic Bytes.

Classic Bytes will be the place where I do my research about old computer artifacts.

It will contains articles, videos, or wiki-snippets from all over the internet.

I hope readers would find Classic Bytes entertaining as well as educational.

Video: History of Computer

Hope readers enjoy them.

History of Computer Videos:

1. [Google Video] Modern Marvel – History of Computer

2. [YouTube] Computer History – A British View

3. [Google Video] History of Amiga

4. [Google Video] Modern Marvel – Codes

5. [Google Video] BeOS Demo Video

6. [Google Video] Computer Chronicles – 1985 UNIX

7. [Google Video] Computer Chronicles – Commodore 64

8 [Google Video] Computer Chronicles – PowerPC

9. [YouTube] Small UNIX History

10. [Google Video] The PalmPilot History

Computer Museum: http://www.digibarn.com

I believe many of RAPD loyal readers aware of the existence of DigiBarn museum, but I think it’s good to spread the words anyway.

DigiBarn is very popular, it has been featured by CNET news & Discovery/History Channel. It is initiated by Bruce Damer in 2001. [This is the history page of DigiBarn]

DigiBarn is very complete, it is the complete catalog of hardwares of the past, including Xerox Alto, the computer that REALLY starts the computer revolution.

I highly recommend readers to take the time and have a trip back to memory lane.

References:

• The Museum main page
• Palo Alto Research Center History