The problem of this pattern is a very common situation; virtually any time you are building something for a client. You are tasked with producing something that will solve the client’s problem. While you could follow a basic, common method, you also could explore new solutions and build something more custom. The pattern then determines that the solution to this problem is to rely on the tried and tested method. The justification is that your job is to create something functional and you must prioritize that over all else.
I’m not sure how I feel about the proposed solution to this. I would say I overall disagree. Firstly, just because you’re trying something new doesn’t mean its entirely original. There are varying degrees to which you could try something new. So I disagree with the absolutism of the statement. Next, I don’t think that taking the time to create something new is entirely selfish. Just because you could hack together something functional quickly and deliver it to the client doesn’t mean that they won’t have a successful, or even better product from you creating something original. In fact, I think in a sense it shows how much you care for the client. Rather than giving them something cookie cutter, you chose to think specifically about their problem rather than force it to match some other problem. When it comes to coding, that practice might significantly aid performance, for example. Cookie cutter solutions to intensely computational problems can’t be as efficient as specified unique solutions.
Lastly, not all developers have the time to create original content in their free time. If developers spend all of their time copy pasting the same projects, how will the industry as a whole ever advance? So once again, it isn’t just about advancing your own individual skills. I feel there is a disconnect with this pattern. The author seems to be referring specifically to artifying the job, but their descriptions are much more vague than that and can encompass less “negative” practices. When it comes to treating every job like a unique art piece, I’d generally be against that since I don’t think it is a good business model. However, it depends mostly on what the client wants. Perhaps the client wants that level of connection with the craftsman.
From the blog CS@Worcester – The Introspective Thinker by David MacDonald and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.