GoKawiilBlog post argues pre-internet software was buggier than today's apps
A software essay pushes back on the idea that programs were better built in earlier decades, arguing that Windows-era software crashed constantly despite near-universal market dominance. The author, a computer user since 1990, cites recurring crashes and the infamous Blue Screen of Death as evidence that nostalgia for 'the good old days' of software quality is misplaced.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The piece complicates a common narrative that AI-assisted and rapid development cycles are uniquely responsible for declining software quality, suggesting instead that today's bugs simply look different from the instability of decades past. It implies that the real historical advantage wasn't better craftsmanship but the physical constraint of shipping once on fixed media, which forced a baseline of polish before release.
- The author argues software reliability nostalgia is largely inaccurate, based on firsthand use since 1990.
- Windows commanded roughly 95% market share historically, making its instability the dominant user experience.
- Physical distribution via floppy disks, CDs or ROMs once forced companies to ship a more finished product since updates weren't easy.
Source: bitlog.com — Jake Voytko, 2026-10-27
Published there as: “Software may be getting worse, but it used to be horrible”
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