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rustyhancock • yesterday at 3:06 PM • 3 replies • view on HN

It says "legacy" code.

Legacy code is typically a euphemism for old unmaintained code, no one knows how it works so it can be edited, and it probably doesn't align with current work practices.

Not to say a rewrite is necessary right, but avoiding rewrites of working code is how we ended up with more COBOL code than COBOL programmers in 2026.


Replies

rafram • yesterday at 3:09 PM

If nobody knows how the old code works, how will anyone know how the new code (written by an autonomous agent) works?

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thaumasiotes • today at 9:59 AM

> Not to say a rewrite is necessary right, but avoiding rewrites of working code is how we ended up with more COBOL code than COBOL programmers in 2026.

Surely we have more code than programmers for every language in existence?

Except for the part where the concept isn't even well-defined, this sounds like a complaint that the world contains more bricks than bricklayers. Of course it does.

LoganDark • yesterday at 3:14 PM

I don't think no one knows how it works. I just think the people using the word "legacy" for it are boneheaded.