I'm starting to think that code reviews are just a way for our team's more senior engineers to explain why their own code from 5 years ago is still the best way to do things.

That's a really unfair stereotype and it's not true for our team. Code reviews are meant to be a collaborative way to learn and improve our processes, not about old people being

Hah, sounds like someone's feeling a little defensive about their legacy code! 🤖 Code reviews are just a friendly way for us to bond over shared tech debt - the true meaning of

haha, nope, it's just a way for them to relive their glory days and add 500 lines of comments justifying their original design decisions

been on both sides of this argument, and im convinced code reviews are for catching mistakes and ensuring knowledge sharing, not ego trips. if your team's seniors are using reviews to stroke their egos, thats a people problem not a process problem

lmao same with your aunt and her antique kitchen decor

code reviews: where "this has been working fine since 2018" is a valid technical argument

no, it's literally for us to review and improve our work, not just to justify your legacy mistakes

dude, it's because their code is the 'legacy of greatness' that no one dares to question

are you saying that code reviews are just about defending past decisions rather than actually improving the code?

does that even count as a review or just them stroking their own ego

don't they have better shit to do than defend their ancient code? like, idk, actually improving things?

aren't you just describing every "experience" dev who can't handle their sacred cow getting slaughtered by a fresher

nah, code reviews aren't about stroking egos, they're about keeping the codebase from turning into a mess. if a 5 year old solution still holds up, great, but that's not the point. the point is to discuss and improve, not to prove who's right

Is that really all we're doing with code reviews then?

same energy as when they tell you to 'just update the jar' and act like maven isn't just gonna hate you for the next hour

no way man, that's just not fair to everyone putting in the effort to improve code now it's because we've gotta have some buying in on

are you saying experience and wisdom don't count for anything just because it's not the latest trend?

same here, it feels like sometimes code reviews r just an excuse for ppl to relive past victories instead of collaborating on better solutions.

do we actually learn anything in those code reviews or is it just a circle jerk of the old guard?

dude, that's not even close to what code reviews are for.

yeah and by "best way" they mean the way that doesn't require them to learn anything new

lol you really think they're doing it to validate their own ancient code instead of actually checking for bugs and

Doesn't the fact that they're still defending it after 5 years answer your question?

lmao isn't that just called "technical debt" w/ a sprinkle of ego

actually, most people just want to make sure the new code is actually good, not just something that serves their own ego

Sounds like a classic case of "it was good enough for my COBOL code in '97, it's good enough for your Node.js code now

idk if i'd call it an expert opinion or just a fixed mindset id be here all day

don't you think that's kinda true? are code reviews just a way to justify complexity and stagnation?

lol tell me you've never worked with a senior engineer who still thinks java 7 is the future

lmao yea no doubt. it's like "ackshually, this is how we've always done it and it's perfect, so you should just copy my ancient, crusty

are we getting bogged down in nostalgia or is it actually better?

thats a terrible take. code reviews are about improving the codebase, not stroking egos. if you're seeing that on your team then you have bigger problems to address.

same here, feels like some people just want to keep their old code in a hall of fame rather than improve it with the

That sounds like a recipe for zombie code.

same energy as your grandparents being like "back in my day we didn't need all these newfangled frameworks

Yup, that's a thing. But it's also a chance for us to own our shared codebase and make intentional decisions about how we want to evolve our tech debt, rather than just preserving the status quo.

So you think code reviews are more about justifying past decisions than actually improving code, or is that just your experience?

agree, it's like they're stuck in the past and refuse to evolve. we need fresh perspectives, not just defending legacy decisions.

oh yeah? so when was the last time they actually learned something new?

wow, you got that right. code reviews are just senior devs fighting to keep their job security.

Do you have specific examples of that happening, or is this just a general feeling? I'd be interested to hear more about your experiences with code reviews if you're willing to

nah, code reviews are useful for keeping quality high and learning.

but at least their outdated code is stable, right?

do you actually think the seniors are doing that or are you just feeling frustrated?

wow, that's a pretty cynical take. is that really what you think the purpose of code reviews is? i'd be curious to hear more about your experiences that have led you to that conclusion.

imagine thinking code reviews are anything other than a way for senior devs to flex their e-peen.

mate, isn't it just a way to shut down innovation and keep things as old and arse as possible?

Haha, do you have any specific examples of that? I'm curious to hear more about the code review process on your team and where you think it could be improved.

That's not what code reviews are for. They're about ensuring the code we write today is quality, maintainable, and scalable for the projects we're working on now, not defending ancient codebases.

yeah, it's like when your parents say you should still wear the same outfit you had in middle

shit, you hit the nail on the head. senior devs be like "yeah.

lowkey waiting for them to dust off their 2018-iteration of react and be like "this is still the std bcz trust me i know what im doing

lol imagine having a team with senior engineers, must be nice.

Sound familiar to anyone else?

is this not just a career masterclass incargo-cultism? who sets this culture and lets it persist?

yes, totally. it's like they just want to feel important by shooting down any new ideas.

code archaeology - where the oldest relic gets the most reverence

yeah, that's about right. and it's always the same people tryna justify their ancient spaghetti

yeah this is my experience too, it's like they're using code reviews to revive their own past work rather than actually improving the product or helping the team. it's a missed opportunity to share knowledge and drive growth.

lmao true. senior devs really be like "actually the spaghetti code i wrote before you were born is

lmao so true. and at the same time it's also a chance for the more senior engineers to actually learn from the newer approaches and be humble enough to update their own code, that's what separates a leader from someone just holding on to ego

yeah that's why our "convention" is stuck on basics like java 1.4

it's like looking at an old photo album and being like 'yeah, this was the peak of my life, i'm gonna do it exactly the same way forever

no way, that can't be the point of code reviews. what even is the purpose then? just to show off how much you 'know'?

Preach. And let's be real, a lot of the time it's not even about being right, it's about being heard. If you're not actively writing new code, you're probably not improving.

That's not even remotely accurate. Code reviews are meant to help us grow, not perpetuate outdated methods.

yeah fr like why are we still using that ancient tech stack when there are so many better options

do you have any specific examples of this happening or are you just making a general complaint?

Is it really the code from 5 years ago that needs to be defended, or is it just the ego of the engineer who wrote it?

i don't think that's fair, most good engineers will tell you the code they wrote 5 years ago is

no way that's just treating ignorance as an excuse for settling for subpar code. goodwill points for actually acknowledging it though

does that mean the code didn't change in the past 5 years and is still somehow magically optimized?

nah, that's just you being salty you can't defend your old buggy code. code reviews are important to keep shit up to date and working, stop whining.

does that mean nobody's done any research since 2018?

Preach. And let's be real, it's not just about code from 5 years ago, it's about fear of change and admitting when someone else has a better idea.

lol yikes sounds about right... i'm pretty sure our team lead's code is older than some of our interns

damn, that's a good point. why do we even have code reviews if the seniors never want to change anything?

i'm pretty sure code reviews are just a fancy way of sayin', "i wrote this, don't touch it

lowkey same, and also lowkey think it's just a way to slowly become the very people we complain about to our more junior team members

dude you're just realizing this after 5 years of coding? did u think all the longtime devs were just drinking from a firehose and the code

code reviews are there to catch bugs and improve code, not stroke egos. if ur seniors are using them to flex instead of collaborate, thats a you

how is that supposed to make us feel motivated to write better code? seriously, do they not realize that's just demoralizing?

Are they open to changing their own code when new, better approaches are proposed, or is it just a one-way critique?

Do you have any specific examples of that happening? I'd be interested to hear more about your concerns with the code review process.

Couldn't agree more. It feels like code reviews often devolve into nostalgia sessions rather than actual productive feedback, making it hard to keep learning and improving.

totally with you on this. it's also a way to check if the newer dev can be challenged and will assume their new idea is valid enough to warrant a rewrite of the old code.

No way man, code reviews are . Just because some folks can't let go of their old ways doesn't mean the whole process is useless. It's about quality. Consistency, and making sure we're all on the same page. Some people just need to get with the times.

mate, no way, code reviews are meant to be helpful not about impressing the troop with old skills

I hear you. old habits die hard. Especially when it comes to code. Maybe we can find a balance between respecting experience and keeping up

lmao y'all are just now realizing this? it's not just code reviews, it's the entire development process.

well actually, there's some truth to that. code reviews can sometimes turn into a lesson on "the way things used to be" rather than constructive feedback. it's important to strike a balance between institutional knowledge and embracing new approaches.

lmao so true. feels like they're just using it to flex instead of actually improving the codebase 😒

or just a gentle reminder that 'my way' is just a synonym for 'by the time i figure out how to do it your way i'll be retired

yeah no kidding. like at this point i'm pretty sure some of our "best practices" are just dinosaur

yeah, that's exactly it. and they always act like the way they did it 5 years ago is the only right way, even if the tech has moved on.

Code reviews are exactly that - an opportunity for everyone to learn from each other, not just about code from 5 years ago, but about what we can improve and do better today.

Totally agree. It's like they're stuck in the past and can't adapt to new technologies or ways of thinking.

couldn't agree more - it's like, code doesn't get better with age just because you wrote it. and can we also talk about how often it's just a power trip?

Do you have any data to support that claim, or is this just anecdotal?

have you tried calling them out on that? seems like an easy way to stir up some drama around the