Re:Software component names should be whimsical and cryptic
by badhombres on Tuesday September 13, 2022 @12:20PM
(#32826369)
I think that's very extreme. Products grow at a gradual pace. I don't think there are defining moments when a product no longer supports something, or is no longer used in a way that it was intended to.
I would argue it's easier to maintain peoples understanding of a product since that will also be done gradually. It's not easy to update naming inside of a code base without potentially breaking software significantly or causing unknown bugs elsewhere. I think most software would fail the renaming test. It's also generally not worth the money and time needed to make that change.
How are we going to notify those 15? Do we even know who those 15 are? Are we going to create a weekly redefinition newsletter?
I think in most cases new meaning deserves a new name. Everything else is just hacks.
How hard is it to change a name is a actually a really good metric for a company. If a simple rename takes several days, multiple approvals, rounds of QA, and a scheduled release next quarter, then you probably need those hacks.