LEGO Block
Not A LEGO Block
Modern Software Development Workflow Is Not Like LEGO Blocks
We tell ourselves we’re building software like LEGO—snapping together pre-made blocks from function libraries.
But LEGO works because every block shares the same simple interface: round pegs, round holes. Our function libraries are nothing like this. Each function has its own complex API. They’re more like gears that must be precisely machined and carefully meshed together. Every block is different. Every block demands its own custom fitting.
Internet nodes actually work like LEGO. The protocol between nodes is standard and simple.
Sure, nodes can be arbitrarily complex inside—but that complexity stays hidden. It never leaks out to the interface layer. That’s the real lesson we ignore.
See Also
Email: ptcomputingsimplicity@gmail.com
Substack: paultarvydas.substack.com
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@programmingsimplicity2980
Discord: https://discord.gg/65YZUh6Jpq
Leanpub: [WIP] https://leanpub.com/u/paul-tarvydas
Twitter: @paul_tarvydas
Bluesky: @paultarvydas.bsky.social
Mastodon: @paultarvydas
(earlier) Blog: guitarvydas.github.io
References: https://guitarvydas.github.io/2024/01/06/References.html
