php[architect] November 2018

44 \ November 2018 \ http://www.phparch.com

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The Seven Deadly Sins

of Programming: Sloth

Eli White

This month I touch on the sin of sloth in programming.

I mean, I don’t want to. I want to go flop on the couch

and watch some TV and relax. However, I’ll avoid the

sin itself and manage an article this month.

In general, I believe that slothful-
ness in programming can often be a
good thing. It’s good to look for “easy
answers” and to not re-invent the wheel
each time. Laziness can be a virtue
when it pushes us to automate repeti-
tive tasks and re-use solutions from the
community. Don’t let your pride be trig-
gered instead. Find what works, make it
happen, move on.

However, there are situations where
this becomes a problem and they
primarily concern education. Program-
ming is a topic that continually changes.
New technology is created while ways
of interacting with older technology
are explored. Laziness and sticking
to familiar tools will keep you from
growing as an expert. “If all you have
is a hammer...” you’ll go down a road
where you try to make every problem
look like a nail.

Now, to many programmers this isn’t
a problem as they are always seeking
out the latest ideas, voraciously trying

to learn everything that is new. However,

often, the opposite happens. We find

ourselves set in our ways. We know how

to do a task the way we’ve done for years.

So we continue to work on that task in

that one fashion. Why put effort into

learning a new way?

My ambition is handicapped by my

laziness

• Charles Bukowski

Hopefully, this is not a problem that

you, the reader, will have experienced.

Since you subscribe to this tome of

knowledge each month, you already

understand the need to put in that

extra time learning more about your

profession.

Make sure that this carries into your

development practices. Don’t dismiss

that new idea just because you’d have to

go figure it out. Take the time to at least

mentally explore those new paths. Read

an article, attend a meetup, or attend a

conference session.

Do what you need to continue your

education and don’t just fall into a rut.

Would you want to go to a doctor who

had learned everything 10 years ago

and hasn’t ever studied newer medi-

cines and treatments? No! So why

should you be writing code the way you

did 10 years ago?

Eli White is a Conference Chair for php[architect] and Vice

President of One for All Events, LLC. He’s ready to go check

out that couch now. @EliW