Nested Promise Chain Demonstrates Callback Hell on the Way to the Doctor
Description
Dark-themed editor screenshot shows heavily indented JavaScript code. Exact text: 1 if (received(news)) { 2 move(10).then(() => { 3 go.to(door).then(() => { 4 move(10).then(() => { 5 go.to(reception).then(() => { 6 talk.to(receptionist).then(() => { 7 move(10).then(() => { 8 talk.to(doctor).then(() => { 9 move(10).then(() => { 10 //I am legally not allowed to finish this joke 11 }).catch(); 12 }).catch(); 13 }).catch(); 14 }).catch(); 15 }).catch(); 16 }).catch(); 17 }).catch(); 18 }).catch(); 19 } Keywords like "if" and method names are colored, and the comment on line 10 appears in green. The extreme nesting of `.then()` calls forms an indentation pyramid, humorously illustrating “callback hell” and poor maintainability in asynchronous JavaScript. The final comment, "//I am legally not allowed to finish this joke", lampoons how long promise chains can become before any real logic executes, making it relatable developer humor about code quality and readability
Comments
27Comment deleted
Our new HIPAA strategy: bury the PHI eleven .then() deep - by the time anyone reaches talk.to(doctor), both the token and the developer have expired
This code walks into a doctor's office, but after 10 levels of callbacks, even the JavaScript engine needed therapy. The real diagnosis? Acute Promise deficiency with chronic async/await avoidance disorder - a condition that affects legacy codebases where developers are still billing by the indentation level
This is what happens when you explain async/await to a junior developer but they're still mentally stuck in 2015. Seven levels deep and the comment 'I am legally not allowed to finish this joke' is the most honest documentation I've seen all week - probably because their lawyer saw the code review and filed a restraining order against the codebase. The real punchline? Someone on the team will inevitably suggest 'just add another .catch() to handle that edge case' during the next sprint planning
Nine .catch()s and no returns - the Promise Pyramid of Doom; one async function with try/catch would halve your indentation and your incident count
Enterprise JS: hospital triage in nested .then(), .catch() at every indent so Legal sleeps - Promises didn’t fix callback hell; they gave it a fluent API. Please, async/await
Architect's dream of bulletproof resilience: every exception caught by another exception handler, ensuring the stack trace - and deadlines - never resolve
Ваши действия: 1. Отрезать яйца 🥚 2. Оторвать руки Comment deleted
(This is English-only chat) Your action: (1) cut balls, (2) cut arms Comment deleted
Thnk u Comment deleted
Mb rip off Comment deleted
How many people know the Loss meme here to understand this joke? Comment deleted
I recalled it just because of doctor and reception but then I do not understand wtf is "move(10)" and legal problems. Comment deleted
Same Comment deleted
Only those who experienced it a dozen times or so Comment deleted
why do we need await Comment deleted
Or just return promise in the chain Comment deleted
That's what async/await syntax made for Comment deleted
Callback hell Comment deleted
My favorite hell Comment deleted
The one you can avoid simply by promising stuff? Comment deleted
I don’t use promises much often, I use observables Comment deleted
this is terrifying Comment deleted
Wait, is this ... Comment deleted
Or tear off Comment deleted
Arms Comment deleted
Explain please Comment deleted
Василий. Comment deleted