I feel so dirty...

Ever realize that you are sooo deep into a project and you don't have time for a seriously eloquent solution? Ever, then, come to the conclusion that you need to "just get it done" (otherwise known as the "JGID" methodology), and write up some hacky solution that works, but you *know* in your heart is some of the ugliest code in the history of mankind? You write code that you *know* is so bad that you put in a comment acknowledging the hack and de facto apologizing for it in the hopes on code review you'll get at least some consideration to recognizing your hack? You end up actually going so far as to put it on the development schedule to go back and refactor the mess you made...creating a "shiny mess", knowing that so long it works you'd rather be shot than have to touch it?

I bet none of you has, but I darn sure know I did today.

I feel so dirty....

I just hope the code gods forgive my transgression.....forgive me for I have hacked....

I think I'll go home and read three chapters of "Object Thinking" to try and wash this code guilt off me...

Edit: I am unable to successfully comment on my own blog at the moment, but I did have a reply for Carl (see below)
Yeah, I know, right? Imagine a bad coder like me (how you know me so well, I'll never figure out) actually *going* home! I should probably spend more time at work. If I would be willing to give up my life for my employer (as I have in the past), why, I'd have lots of time. Good idea, Carl. :-) Instead, though, I think I'll plan on the 9.5 hours a day I give them and do what I can in the time they give me. Probably makes me a bad employee, but hey, my family likes it. :-)

posted @ Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:11 PM

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Comments on this entry:

# re: I feel so dirty...

Left by MES at 7/31/2008 1:59 PM
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Ah yes--Speed To Market makes Sinners of us all at one time or another..don't it.

# re: I feel so dirty...

Left by Carl at 8/1/2008 8:10 AM
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Complaining about lack of time and yet going home to read 3 chapters of a book... sheesh, you just can't get the staff these days...

Some people must start out with advanced knowledge of impossible time constraints and just code badly from the outset! ;o)

# re: I feel so dirty...

Left by Theo at 8/1/2008 8:46 AM
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Sys.WebForms.PageRequestManagerServerErrorException: An unknown error occurred while processing the request on the server. The status code returned from the server was: 500

# re: I feel so dirty...

Left by Jeff Julian at 8/1/2008 10:09 AM
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Testing Comments`

# re: I feel so dirty...

Left by dtinsley at 8/5/2008 5:47 PM
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Yes, dirty and violated like a night back stage at a Guns and Roses concert.
I love the part where you get ridiculed by the team expert when the code self destructs. All I can say is "Thank God you are here Team Expert". Where were you when I was putting this ball of duct tape together because it was "Mission Critical" to get it out the door. I gotta go take my meds.
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