Working on the command line, hands poised over the keys uninterrupted by frequent reaches for the mouse, is a posture familiar to wordsmiths (especially the really old guys who once worked on teletypes or electric typewriters). It makes some of the same demands as writing an essay. Both require composition skills. Both demand a thorough knowledge of grammar and syntax. Both reward mastery with powerful, compact expression.

Rules are great. I love them and I hand them out as much as any other programmer. Most of the time, they will help you.

Programmers need to get into the habit of dissecting rules though. You always need to be asking, “Why are they telling me this?”

Once you understand the reasoning, you can follow the rule when it makes sense, but put it aside when it’s not needed. That will open up all sorts of new options for you.

The more technical debt you take on, the tighter your disciplines need to be. You should do more testing, and more pairing and more refactoring. Technical debt is not a license to make a mess. Technical debt creates the need for even greater cleanliness.