Because I've been around the block enough to know that if you think code not written doesn't do anything, then code you write MUST do something. The reality is most code does nothing (other than push data around), and the actual code that really drives the value is primarily an innovation that lives in one component of the code-base. All other code is expendable and most of it is putting a pretty face on the raw functionality or adding usability, options, etc.
All code needs to be taken into account holistically. Sure, you added some code that sends alerts. It actually does something. Well, do your customers care? Are they willing to upgrade to the latest version? Does that piece of code actually change the business strategy, market penetration, or mindshare? 90% of the time code is checking boxes against competitors or providing some benefit that does not have a huge impact to the bottom line of the business. Again, MOST code.
So I make assumptions based directly of years of experience. Most of the code anyone writes barely does anything. The amount of code that is written compared to the amount of code that actually makes meaningful changes to the business or the world at large is probably 50:1.
Honestly, as a data point... you were wrong. I was just being a smart ass.
If I had any thought in mind besides just to be a contrarian it was, to quote Voltaire, "A witty saying proves nothing.".
I've been around the block a bit too and I know that these articles on HN and the one-line summations of "write more code", "write less code", "write purple code", "Code you don't write doesn't have bugs", etc. don't really mean anything more than my stupid "... but doesn't do anything either. :P".
It's like throwing people random tools out of a toolbox. "When you do carpentry, use a chisel", "For building houses, a hammer is what you need", etc.
If the carpenters you're throwing a chisel to don't know how to properly use a chisel, then just throwing one at them isn't helpful. If they already know how to use a chisel, then you're not helping them either.
Maybe you were just trying to give them a clever-sounding quote with an obvious rejoinder to throw out on HN and thus promote a little discussion? In that case, I guess it worked well enough. :)
