Kinda a big announcement

The other day, I was talking to a young developer working on a code base filled with extensive COM (Component Object Model) code. I mentioned to them that even before their time on the planet, COM was already considered deeply obsolete. Finding developers with the necessary expertise to work on it had become nearly impossible. Yet, this team still clung to their old COM codebase, relying on a single elderly programmer who could manage multithreaded objects—a rare skill in the modern era.

COM, once a significant technology, had become a relic of the past. It was like Gödel's Theorem: important in theory, but in practice, it was a demonstration of how far human intelligence could stretch under extreme pressure. The young developer nodded, understanding the irony. Over time, programming has evolved, with one major change being the shift from manual memory management to automated garbage collection.

I reflected on my own journey as a developer. Decades ago, I had started coding, but my focus shifted to building a company. When I returned to web development after a decade-long hiatus, the landscape had changed. Node.js, React, and other frameworks had emerged, offering new possibilities. These tools were impressive, but they hadn't fundamentally altered the core challenges of development. Creating a simple CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) web application still required the same amount of effort as before. Some tasks, like handling file uploads or centering elements, remained frustratingly difficult, much like they were in VBScript twenty years prior.

The crux of the issue lies in the nature of programming tool developers. They have a tendency to add features rather than remove them, leading to an ever-increasing complexity. Each new tool introduces pros and cons, making it harder for developers to master a single approach. This accumulation of options creates a sense of overwhelm, as developers struggle to keep up with the ever-evolving landscape.

In the end, the story of COM serves as a cautionary tale. While new technologies offer promise, they often fail to address the fundamental challenges of development. The pursuit of complexity can sometimes obscure the simplicity that makes programming accessible and effective. As we look towards the future, it's essential to remember that the tools we create should prioritize ease of use and efficiency, rather than adding unnecessary layers of complexity. Only then can we hope to see the transformative changes that developers have been anticipating for years—like the flying cars of the software world.