Bad Code Blame Debate

This cluster debates whether unreadable or poor-quality code results from bad programmers or from programming languages that make bad code easier to write. Core discussions emphasize that skilled programmers can produce good code in any language, while some argue certain languages encourage sloppy practices.

📉 Falling 0.4x Programming Languages
2,639
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#1404
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
10
2008
47
2009
81
2010
96
2011
145
2012
135
2013
146
2014
140
2015
105
2016
172
2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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2023
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2024
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2025
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2026
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Keywords

e.g EE OK JAVA ENV ALT code language write code language bad code languages written bad programming code written

Sample Comments

carlisle_ Jul 29, 2014 View on HN

Bad programmers, not languages, write unreadable code.

natnat Jul 29, 2014 View on HN

Everyone writes unreadable code sometimes. Bad languages make it easier.

kerkeslager Jun 9, 2020 View on HN

It's possible to write good code in bad languages.

erik_seaberg Apr 20, 2020 View on HN

Experts' code looking like beginners' code is not a good thing! If better learning a language doesn't make your code clearer and more concise, the language isn't pulling its weight.

TeeMassive Sep 11, 2021 View on HN

Bad written code is bad written code in any language, that's a false comparison.

rocqua Sep 10, 2016 View on HN

A language that makes it easier to write shitty code is worse than one that doesn't

chaostheory Apr 11, 2012 View on HN

It's easier to write bad code in certain languages, as well as vice versa.

kekzzz Dec 4, 2018 View on HN

Why can't people just get over it and stop blaming the language for their own sloppy code?

adrianN Mar 22, 2021 View on HN

"You can write " is an answer that usually get rebutted by pointing out that a) you need to read a lot more code than you write and b) other people might not write code or c) other people might have a different definition of .

croes Mar 22, 2021 View on HN

But some languages make it easier to write bad code than others.