Throwback Thursday: July 16, 2026
In today's edition of Throwback Thursday, we revisit one of my favorite pedantic distinctions: Complicated vs. Complex.
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. Complicated
The difference between complex and complicated explained in under 100 words. #Under100
Mike Wolfe
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.”
Mike Wolfe
Managing Software Complexity: The Rule of Seven
Don’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.
Mike Wolfe
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
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a... by Stanley McChrystal
In complex, fast-moving environments, traditional command-and-control hierarchies fail—success requires creating a “team of teams” with shared conscious…
Stanley McChrystal
Developer Humor
Tasks
- COMPLICATED: Was the picture taken in a national park?
- COMPLEX: Is it a picture of a bird?
*Comic originally posted in September of 2014. One month later, Flickr released said technology in a public response to the comic.
Cover image generated by Ideogram
