Four pieces of computer history lore: Worse is Better, LISP curse, Conway's Law, Blub Paradox
alex_frantic · x · 2026-11-07
A quick tour of four classic pieces of computer history lore every programmer should know:
- Worse is Better: simpler, imperfect implementations often beat "perfect" designs
- The LISP curse: teams using LISP build things too far ahead of their time to ship
- Conway's Law: system designs mirror the communication structures of the organizations that build them
- The Blub Paradox: programmers can't see the value of more powerful languages beyond the one they use
A good entry point into programming culture and engineering thinking.
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