Worse is better

For the phrase "The worse the better", see Nikolay Chernyshevsky.

Worse is better (also called the New Jersey style[1]) is a term conceived by Richard P. Gabriel in a 1989 essay[2] to describe the dynamics of software acceptance. It refers to the argument that software quality does not necessarily increase with functionality: that there is a point where less functionality ("worse") is a preferable option ("better") in terms of practicality and usability. Software that is limited, but simple to use, may be more appealing to the user and market than the reverse.

As to the oxymoronic title, Gabriel calls it a caricature, declaring the style bad in comparison with "The Right Thing". However he also states that "it has better survival characteristics than the-right-thing" development style and is superior to the "MIT Approach" with which he contrasted it.[3]

The essay was included into the 1994 book The UNIX-HATERS Handbook, and has been referred to as the origin of the notion of a conceptual split between developers on the east and west coasts of the United States.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference WIB vs BIB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Gabriel, Richard P. "Worse Is Better". Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference WorseIsBetter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference WIW was invoked but never defined (see the help page).