You’re Not Refactoring — You’re Just Moving Code Around

You renamed a method, moved three files into a new folder, and squashed a 200-line switch statement into six nearly identical strategy classes. You even updated the JIRA ticket. Congratulations — the mess is now modular. But let’s be clear: that wasn’t refactoring. That was furniture rearrangement. The smell is still in the room. When ‘refactoring’ really just means rearranging the mess into a new, equally confusing shape. ...

June 18, 2025 · 3 min · The Cynical Developer