An article discussing 'feng shui refactoring'—superficial code reorganizations that rearrange structure without improving functionality or maintainability. The piece contrasts pseudo-refactoring (renaming, moving files, reorganizing directories) with genuine refactoring that removes duplication, clarifies business logic, or simplifies system behavior.
This article argues that while AI excels at code generation, it cannot make architectural and engineering decisions, resulting in poorly-structured codebases shaped by prompt sequences rather than deliberate design. The lack of decision-making creates technical debt that compounds over time, requiring human architects to provide oversight and establish consistent patterns.
The author reflects on how coding agents have transformed software engineering productivity, shifting bottlenecks from implementation time to judgment and design decisions. He argues that judgment—supported by curated expert skills and best practices—will become the critical constraint in building secure, maintainable, and reliable software.