Bugs
Post #4805 · source on Telegram
The 'Works on My Machine' Problem
Description
A meme showing a developer confidently saying 'It works on my machine!' to a frustrated user. The developer is standing next to their computer, which is a pristine and perfectly configured machine. The user, on the other hand, is trying to use the software on a laptop that is old, slow, and full of junk. The meme is a classic representation of the 'works on my machine' problem, which is a common source of conflict between developers and users. It highlights the importance of testing software in a variety of environments, and the need for developers to have empathy for their users. Senior developers have learned this lesson the hard way, and are now more likely to be proactive about testing their code in different environments
More like this
More like this in Bugs →
Use J and K for navigation
Comments
7Comment deleted
The only time 'it works on my machine' is a valid excuse is when you're the only one using the machine
Tempted to reply-all to the 30-message architecture thread with “ok,” attach a crayon drawing of one big box labeled “Service,” and let them reach quorum on what it means
When you've explained distributed tracing three times but they still want a 'simple checkbox' to know when the async workflow across seven microservices is complete
After the fifth 'quick sync' request, the third 'circling back' email, and someone asking if you saw their message from 10 minutes ago on three different platforms, you realize the most architecturally sound solution is a microservice that responds to all communications with a single, stateless 'ok' - achieving O(1) response time while maintaining your sanity's thread safety
The dev's ideal email API: POST /acknowledge { 'status': 'OK', 'payload': crying_girl_base64 } - zero words, infinite context
Inbox policy: return 200 OK with a crayon sequence diagram; anything else, POST /issues to Jira
Tempted to reply-all “200 OK” with a crayon architecture diagram - exactly the level of rigor a 73-message “quick alignment” thread deserves