Code bloat - Revision history

Elie at 09:50, 6 February 2025

2025-02-06T09:50:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:50, 6 February 2025
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	==Solutions==		==Solutions==
	{{empty}}		{{empty}}
			{{talk\|TODO: mention somewhere: Code bloat is often a bigger resource-hog than ''feature bloat'' (the oft-cited excuse for why programs become big i.e. the "mozilla is big because your needs are big" narrative).{{pbr}}~ example of what not to do: [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id{{=}}18574#c72 mozilla removing `libmng` and calling it "bloat" despite it only taking 300kb] {{pbr}}~ gotta tell em, don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish}}

	==Petitions==		==Petitions==
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	==External links==		==External links==
	* [https://www.positech.co.uk/cliffsblog/2022/06/05/code-bloat-has-become-astronomical/ Code bloat has become astronomical]		* [article] [https://www.positech.co.uk/cliffsblog/2022/06/05/code-bloat-has-become-astronomical/ Code bloat has become astronomical]
	* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpFGkG-u1w Where Does Bad Code Come From? ~~- YouTube~~]		* [video] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpFGkG-u1w Where Does Bad Code Come From?]
			* [podcast] [https://changelog.com/gotime/246 "Avoiding bloat, with Egon Elbre & Roger Peppe"]

Elie at 22:20, 22 March 2024

2024-03-22T22:20:25Z

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 Many of today's apps & websites are built ''inefficiently'' and become worse over time. They take ever more ''computing power''{{x|such as CPU usage, RAM, disk storage space, and battery power}}, for nearly the ''same'' amount of features & functionality. The software eventually becomes '''too slow''' for older devices - {{light|even when there's nothing physically wrong with the older devices}}.
 ==Examples==
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 Some of this is data tracking, but not all of it. There's also the way most web developers build websites: with layers and layers of complex tools/frameworks just to do simple things. {{x|There's a common misconception that tools are saving time for the developer, when often they do the opposite in the long run.}} A web developer might even be unaware of how slow their website really is, because they're developing it on a brand-new computer with an ultra-fast internet connection (which most people don't have).
 ==Awareness==
 Most people are probably unaware that code bloat even exists. It's commonly accepted that computers just get "slower" over time - even though there's no physical reason why this has to happen. Circuit boards aren't cars - they don't slow down as they get old. It's the ''software'' that becomes slow.
 ==Solutions==

Elie: Updated regarding gmail basic html

2024-03-22T22:13:28Z

Updated regarding gmail basic html

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:13, 22 March 2024
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	Hotmail has become slower with every update. While there has been ''some'' increase in features for the user, all of them could have been implemented far more efficiently. {{x\|Their entire JavaScript codebase probably needs to be refactored from the ground up. They seem to be relying on complex APIs to do simple things.}}		Hotmail has become slower with every update. While there has been ''some'' increase in features for the user, all of them could have been implemented far more efficiently. {{x\|Their entire JavaScript codebase probably needs to be refactored from the ground up. They seem to be relying on complex APIs to do simple things.}}

	Gmail is similar~~, but luckily there's~~ a ~~'''~~basic HTML~~'''~~ version that ~~still runs blazingly~~ fast ~~on old computers.~~		Gmail is similar. There used to be a "basic HTML" version that was extremely fast & responsive, but it was discontinued in March 2024. <!--[[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML\|this letter]].-->
	* Too bad it~~'s going to be~~ discontinued in 2024.
	** You can let Google know they should keep it, by emailing them [[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML\|this letter]].

	===Video apps===		===Video apps===

Elie: /* External links */

2024-03-19T19:18:43Z

External links

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:18, 19 March 2024
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	==External links==		==External links==
			* [https://www.positech.co.uk/cliffsblog/2022/06/05/code-bloat-has-become-astronomical/ Code bloat has become astronomical]
	* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpFGkG-u1w Where Does Bad Code Come From? - YouTube]		* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpFGkG-u1w Where Does Bad Code Come From? - YouTube]

Elie at 10:33, 11 March 2024

2024-03-11T10:33:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:33, 11 March 2024
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	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[Planned obsolescence]]		* [[Planned obsolescence]]

			==External links==
			* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YpFGkG-u1w Where Does Bad Code Come From? - YouTube]

Elie: /* Petitions */

2024-02-19T09:37:06Z

Petitions

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:37, 19 February 2024
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	==Petitions==		==Petitions==
	{{petitions}}		<!--{{petitions}}-->
	* [[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML]]		<!--* [[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML]] OUTDATED-->
			{{empty}}

	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[Planned obsolescence]]		* [[Planned obsolescence]]

Elie: /* Causes */

2023-11-01T18:37:47Z

Causes

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:37, 1 November 2023
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	==Causes==		==Causes==
	Most code bloat is probably from widespread ~~'''~~bad practices~~'''~~ in software development. {{en}}		Most code bloat is probably from widespread bad practices in software development. {{en}}

	''Some'' code bloat is done intentionally by corporations: either to promote [[planned obsolescence]], or to collect user data, or both. However, corporations are only ''part'' of the problem; non-corporate [[open-source]] software projects can be just as ''bloated''.		''Some'' code bloat is done intentionally by corporations: either to promote [[planned obsolescence]], or to collect user data, or both. However, corporations are only ''part'' of the problem; non-corporate [[open-source]] software projects can be just as ''bloated''.

Elie: /* Solutions */

2023-11-01T18:36:28Z

Solutions

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:36, 1 November 2023
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	==Solutions==		==Solutions==
	{{empty}}		{{empty}}

			==Petitions==
			{{petitions}}
			* [[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML]]

			==See also==
			* [[Planned obsolescence]]

Elie: /* Email in web browsers */

2023-11-01T18:28:14Z

Email in web browsers

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:28, 1 November 2023
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	Hotmail has become slower with every update. While there has been ''some'' increase in features for the user, all of them could have been implemented far more efficiently. {{x\|Their entire JavaScript codebase probably needs to be refactored from the ground up. They seem to be relying on complex APIs to do simple things.}}		Hotmail has become slower with every update. While there has been ''some'' increase in features for the user, all of them could have been implemented far more efficiently. {{x\|Their entire JavaScript codebase probably needs to be refactored from the ground up. They seem to be relying on complex APIs to do simple things.}}

	Gmail is similar, but luckily there is a ''basic HTML'' version that still runs blazingly fast on old computers.		Gmail is similar, but luckily there's a '''basic HTML''' version that still runs blazingly fast on old computers.
			* Too bad it's going to be discontinued in 2024.
			** You can let Google know they should keep it, by emailing them [[Letter:Google:Gmail Basic HTML\|this letter]].

	===Video apps===		===Video apps===

Elie at 20:07, 3 April 2023

2023-04-03T20:07:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:07, 3 April 2023
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	Many of today's apps & websites are built ''inefficiently'' and become worse over time. They take ever more ''computing power''{{x\|such as CPU usage, RAM, disk storage space, and battery power}}, for nearly the ''same'' amount of features & functionality. The software eventually becomes '''too slow''' for older devices - ~~<span style="color:#555">~~even when there's nothing physically wrong with the older devices~~</span>~~.		Many of today's apps & websites are built ''inefficiently'' and become worse over time. They take ever more ''computing power''{{x\|such as CPU usage, RAM, disk storage space, and battery power}}, for nearly the ''same'' amount of features & functionality. The software eventually becomes '''too slow''' for older devices - {{light\|even when there's nothing physically wrong with the older devices}}.

	==Causes==		==Causes==
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	===Video apps===		===Video apps===
	TikTok is known to slow down phones, decrease battery life{{x\|even when the app isn't open - this suggests that something intensive{{x\|user data collection / tracking, perhaps?}} is running in the background}}, and use a lot of storage space. Technically there is no justification for this. If you look at all of TikTok's features, almost all of them{{x\|except a few advanced video effects that aren't used often}} could run far more efficiently (even on older phones), if the app was coded properly.		TikTok is known to slow down phones, decrease battery life{{x\|even when the app isn't open - this suggests that something intensive{{x\|user data collection / tracking, perhaps?}} is running in the background}}, and use a lot of storage space. Technically there is no justification for this. If you look at all of TikTok's features, almost all of them{{x\|except a few advanced video effects that aren't used often}} could run far more efficiently{{light\|(even on older phones)}}, if the app was coded properly.

	YouTube generally runs a lot smoother on the same phone, with the same video quality. However, YouTube is known to be slow on some desktop computers{{x\|This may also be the fault of web browsers{{x\|such as Chrome and Firefox, especially on Linux}}that don't use GPU-accelerated video codecs, and thus have to rely 100% on CPU. When any scripts load on the page, this occupies the CPU, causing the video to stall for a few seconds at a time.}}.		YouTube generally runs a lot smoother on the same phone, with the same video quality. However, YouTube is known to be slow on some desktop computers{{x\|This may also be the fault of web browsers{{x\|such as Chrome and Firefox, especially on Linux}}that don't use GPU-accelerated video codecs, and thus have to rely 100% on CPU. When any scripts load on the page, this occupies the CPU, causing the video to stall for a few seconds at a time.}}.