Is my code retarded?

From: Jennifer
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2007 16:09
To: Office Mate 1, Office Mate 2
Subject: Does source code have feelings?

I think this is hilarious… the answer would be… um, no.

I was having lunch the other day with a longtime member of the open source community, when i happen to mention, "well, it isn't like source code has feelings. it doesn't care how it gets used, modified or cloned. it's just code." Um, yeah, talk about awkward moments.

It wasn't necessary an "open mouth insert foot," moment, but more of a "whoa, i've never really thought about it that way before..." Over here at the keyboard, the jury is still out whether source code has feelings, but it makes for such an interesting lunch time conversation.

Oddly enough, I'm brought back to the Seaseme Street skit with the muppets playing in a rock band as objects moved along a conveyor-like belt. If the object was a living thing, like a plant or a frog, they band would play, "It's alive, na na na na...." and if the object were an inanimate thing, like a rock or a phone, it would play "Not alive, na na na na..." Maybe someone will find this clip somewhere on the web... I think Freakonomics also calls this particular skit leaving a lasting impression on young children...

The best analogy that i've been able to come up with is one of a teddy bear or a similar stuff animal. Does that stuff animal really have feelings? Or is it because we have such strong emotions connected to it that the stuff animal has feelings vicariously of us? Maybe that's why letting go of code you've written is so tough. It's hard to give your teddy bear or to someone else, hoping they'll appreciate and take care of it as much as you did when you wrote the code / received the bear or sentimental object.

Or maybe trying to figure out how shared and open source works within Microsoft and Visual Studio has finally caused me to lose my mind =)

What do you think?

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From: Office Mate 1
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:37 AM
To: Jennifer; Office Mate 2
Subject: RE: Does source code have feelings?

Do you care if someone else takes over a piece of code you wrote?

That was my baby.

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From: Jennifer
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:42 AM
To: Office Mate 2; Office Mate 1
Subject: RE: Does source code have feelings?

Agreed… that’s why that entry sticks with me today.

Of course, if they ‘fix it’ and it works even better… well then I’m not so attached to it.

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From: Office Mate 2
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:40 AM
To: Jennifer; Office Mate 1
Subject: RE: Does source code have feelings?

HAHA TRUE

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From: Jennifer
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:51 AM
To: Office Mate 2, Office Mate 1
Subject: RE: Does source code have feelings?

An analogy for that…

You have your ‘baby’ (aka. code) , its so cute to you, you love it. But in reality, your baby is not like the other babies, its really kinda retarded.

Because your baby is retarded social services comes in and takes them away (aka. code gets re-written). Ya, that’s the detachment I’m talking about … its ‘fixed’.

I should have my babies taken away a lot… guess I’m a bad mom.

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From: Office Mate 1
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 8:53 AM
To: Jennifer; Office Mate 2
Subject: RE: Does source code have feelings?

Jen are you saying that your code is retarded?

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Quite possibly the funniest exchange to happen in this office in at least a week.

Ya, ok, I guess you had to be there... or be a geek. Either one.