Don't Let Architecture Astronauts Scare You
Joel Spolsky critiques "Architecture Astronauts" for prioritizing high-level abstractions over practical software solutions, urging developers to focus on user needs and tangible outcomes rather than complex architectural concepts.
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Joel Spolsky critiques the phenomenon of "Architecture Astronauts," individuals who focus excessively on high-level abstractions in software development, often losing sight of practical applications. He argues that these thinkers create overly complex architectural concepts that may sound impressive but fail to address real user needs. Spolsky illustrates this with examples like Napster, where the focus on peer-to-peer architecture overshadowed the essential feature of easily accessing music. He points out that such architects often work in large companies, where they can afford to be unproductive while discussing grand ideas rather than delivering functional software.
He expresses frustration with the hype surrounding new technologies and architectures, such as Java and .NET, which are often presented with exaggerated claims of their revolutionary potential. Spolsky emphasizes that while these architectures may be technically sound, they do not necessarily solve meaningful problems for users. He calls for a focus on practical solutions that enhance user experience rather than getting lost in abstract discussions. Ultimately, he urges developers to prioritize tangible outcomes over theoretical frameworks, warning against the allure of grandiose architectural visions that do not translate into real-world benefits.
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7 commentsI have a hard time knowing if I am going to need something in the future or if something is "YAGNI."
I'm not sure if the issue is more common in web applications than in other types of applications, but every choice I make feels like a catch-22. If something is not modular enough, then I may regret one day. If something is too complex, I may also regret it one day.
The famous "what if" driven architecture:
- What if we get 10k concurrent users tomorrow? Everything needs to be CQRS event-driven, HA queue backed, produced and consumed by a fleet of microservices or it wont work perfectly!
- What if the user loses their internet connectivity while submitting this mundane form? We need localstorage backup for all CRUD operations and implement custom conflict resolution logic for each POST/PUT/DELETE.
I mean, yes we can try to tackle all possible issues and outcomes in our timeline but the sun would have cooled down by the time we are done.
Sometimes, well most of the times, you just gotta keep the project focused and 80/20 it.
Yes, and that is how things like VPNs, Tor, BitTorrent (but more broadly, P2P file sharing/downloading), Bitcoin (but more broadly, cryptocurrency/blockchain) and (more recently) Decentralized (aka "anti Big Tech censorship") Video/Content Sharing -- were all invented...
it’s always heartening to see things like this:
All they’ll talk about is peer-to-peer this, that, and the other thing. Suddenly you have peer-to-peer conferences, peer-to-peer venture capital funds, and even peer-to-peer backlash with the imbecile business journalists dripping with glee as they copy each other’s stories: “Peer To Peer: Dead!”
for the simple fact that it’s a reminder that if we have indeed strayed from the light, we did so long ago.
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