The "Kill Your Darlings" Principle in Computer Science
Subject
ReFactoring: Kill Your Darlings
In software design, when you find yourself feeling particularly proud of a neat little bit of design or code, stop and ask yourself how someone who didn't give birth to it will regard it. If it turns out to be overwrought or too slick for the need, you should probably kill your darling and replace it with an ordinary solution that others can actually use, and not just marvel at. Darlings are sometimes characterized…
Similarity
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"Kill Your Darlings" in Computer Science
George Malamidis taught me something about code attachment a few years ago: You always gain by allowing someone to show you an alternative solution. If someone wants to solve a problem in a different way, there are several gains to be had. If their way is inferior, you have an opportunity to mentor a team-mate. If their way is equally elegant, you've gained another solution, or point of view that may be superior in…
Why they relate
Good programming means killing ideas that are too clever for the sake of being clever, and good computer science means killing code, frameworks, and languages in order to free up space for new ideas and inventions.