From Chesterton's fence to Chesterton's gap
The article explores the concept of 'Chesterton's fence' in software engineering, advising developers to understand existing code before changing it. It introduces 'Chesterton's gap' to describe the modern tendency to build new solutions without first verifying if they are necessary.
Why it matters
It provides a philosophical framework for software development that encourages empathy and prevents unnecessary technical debt.
The English Writer and Christian apologist G. K. Chesterton is, perhaps, most well known to programmers through a paragraph in which he introduces what is now known as “Chesterton’s fence”. It’s a very simple idea: You walk through a field and see a fence which, seemingly, has no purpose. Instead of tearing it down because it seemingly has no use, try to understand or ask why somebody put it there. ( 1 ) That’s it!
The article is a reflective essay on engineering culture and methodology.
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