Comment by dang
1 year ago
Related. Others?
Negative 2000 Lines of Code (1982) - https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html).In addition to it being fun to revisit perennials sometimes (though not too often), this is also a way for newer cohorts to encounter the classics for the first time—an important function of this site!
I am a simple man I see -2k lines of code, I upvote
I've told this story to every client who tried schemes to benchmark productivity by some single-axis metric. The fact that it was Atkinson demonstrates that real productivity is only benchmarkable by utility, and if you can get a truly accurate quantification for that then you're on the shortlist for a Nobel in economics.
Important enough to re-state whenever it arises - once you have 2 or more axes/dimensions, you no longer have a linear ordering. You need to map back to a number line to "compare". This is the motivation or driving force toward your "single axis". { That doesn't mean it's a goal any easier to realize, though. I am attempting to merely clarify/amplify rather than dispute here.. }
This story is particularly relevant now, as Bill passed away 3 weeks ago. There was a post about this on the front page at the time:
Bill Atkinson has died - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44210606 - June 7, 2025 (277 comments)
I didn't see that post, but I'm glad we're able to remember Bill through humorous anecdotes and eternally relevant lessons like this.
I figured that articles like folklore are like an amusing movie file (say someone chopping a skin of a watermelon) that's repeatedly being passed around reddit.