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# Throwback Thursday: July 16, 2026
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/throwback-thursday-2026-07-16/
- Published: 2026-07-17T03:28:18.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-17T03:28:18.000Z
- Description: In today's edition of Throwback Thursday, we revisit one of my favorite pedantic distinctions: Complicated vs. Complex.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: Throwback Thursday

*With over a million words scattered across more than 1,800 articles on this blog, you've probably missed a few things here.*

*That’s why each week in "Throwback Thursday," we’ll revisit some standout posts. Expect a blend of my personal favorites, insightful articles from other great minds, and a touch of coding humor to keep things light.*

---

## Highlights from NoLongerSet.com

[Complex vs. ComplicatedThe difference between complex and complicated explained in under 100 words. #Under100![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/icon/NLS_Icon_square-055f4d84-8f7a-4414-825b-40704f3e89be.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/thumbnail/Complex-vs.-Complicated--1--cc98d723-fa2d-424a-847b-c91ccd0c0193.jpeg)](https://nolongerset.com/complex-vs-complicated/)

[Three Factors that Lead to Complex Code“Three properties determine the complexity of an environment. ... The greater the multiplicity, interdependence, and diversity, the greater the complexity.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/icon/NLS_Icon_square-4f17269b-3d34-42bc-84f0-6bafb8b81e66.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/thumbnail/Complexity-factors--2--e329f0d3-b005-4219-aef9-c2101145f295.jpeg)](https://nolongerset.com/complex-code-factors/)

[Managing Software Complexity: The Rule of SevenDon’t try to increase the number of balls you can keep in the air; instead, reduce the number of balls needed to follow your software’s logic.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/icon/NLS_Icon_square-4eac6dcf-de1e-4e26-a708-31f32469d3ce.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/thumbnail/Rule-of-Seven-dd29a54c-dfc4-4788-bf31-0d85e479620b.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/rule-of-seven/)

## Wisdom from Around the Web

### Complex vs. Complicated

> "Being complex is different from being complicated. Things that are complicated may have many parts, but those parts are joined, one to the next, in relatively simple ways: one cog turns, causing the next one to turn as well, and so on."

> "Complexity, on the other hand, occurs when the number of interactions between components increases dramatically—the interdependencies that allow viruses and bank runs to spread; this is where things quickly become unpredictable."

\-- Stanley McChrystal, in [*Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591847486)

[Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a... by Stanley McChrystalIn complex, fast-moving environments, traditional command-and-control hierarchies fail—success requires creating a “team of teams” with shared conscious…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/icon/favicon-7401335f-efbe-4afb-94b0-b10337d633cf.ico)Stanley McChrystal![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/thumbnail/ac352c2cf9a5d493dd444ae69f7f08c44ba1ef9e-230x346-c60de058-438d-41bc-a91a-7d66759a3fae.jpg)](https://grahammann.net/book-notes/team-of-teams-general-stanley-mcchrystal)

## Developer Humor

### Tasks

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2026/07/image-12.png)](https://xkcd.com/1425/)

In the 60s, Marvin Minsky assigned a couple of undergrads to spend the summer programming a computer to use a camera to identify objects in a scene. He figured they'd have the problem solved by the end of the summer. Half a century later, we're still working on it.\*

- **COMPLICATED**: Was the picture taken in a national park?
- **COMPLEX**: Is it a picture of a bird?

\* *Comic* [*originally posted*](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/1425:%5FTasks) *in September of 2014\. One month later, Flickr released said technology in a* [*public response*](https://code.flickr.net/2014/10/20/introducing-flickr-park-or-bird/) *to the comic.* 

*Cover image generated by Ideogram*