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Archive: Nonsense

The Cthulhu Effect, or what happens to old programmers

Sunday 28 July 2013 13:27

There's a perception in at least some parts of the world of software development that coding is a game for the young. I'm not sure whether it's actually true or not, but after a conversation with a friend, I've decided to chalk up the phenomenon to "the Cthulhu Effect". Apparently, the more you stare at Cthulhu, the more insane you go. Similarly, I expect a decade or two of staring at awful code is enough to drive any programmer to madness, leaving you with the choice of either running from the code or embracing madness. (That also goes a long towards explaining the demeanor of many experienced programmers.)

Topics: Nonsense