# Maintaining the Code of the Man Who Wrote 'How To Write Unmaintainable Code' A 1990s Java application brought back to life. - **Source:** [programming](https://brifing.si/source/21f413d8-a401-41ca-83b1-904b87bb8257) - **Published:** 2026-07-17 - **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/7e8f3854-d60d-4079-9f9b-860901cb0c25 ## The Revival of an Old Java Application A Java application written in the 1990s was revised to comply with modern web standards. This application was developed by Roedy Green and had been unused for a long time. ## Roedy Green's Legacy Roedy Green was a renowned figure in the Java world. His work 'How To Write Unmaintainable Code' humorously explained how to make code complex. ## Adapting to the Modern Web The application did not support modern web protocols like HTTPS. These issues were resolved, making the application usable again. ## Sharing on GitHub The revised application was made available on GitHub for everyone to use. This provided a solution for those in need of old technologies. ## User Contributions At the request of Reddit users, the ability to add custom directories was introduced. This increased the application's flexibility. ## Respect for the Past The revival of Roedy Green's code became an example of respecting technological heritage from the past. This work reminds us of the value of old technologies. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1uzadz5/maintaining_the_code_of_the_man_who_wrote_how_to/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._