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# Data Outlives Codebases
- URL: https://www.bramadams.dev/202212162359/
- Published: 2023-02-01T00:27:04.000Z
- Updated: 2023-02-01T00:27:04.000Z
- Author: Bram Adams
- Tags: programming, zettelkasten

> **Your data is the most important part of your system**  
> I’ve seen a lot of systems where hope was the primary mechanism of data integrity. In systems like this, anything that happens off the golden path creates partial or dirty data. Dealing with this data in the future can become a nightmare. Just remember, **your data will likely long outlive your codebase. Spend energy keeping it orderly and clean, it’ll pay off well in the long run.** ([View Highlight](https://simplethread.com/20-things-ive-learned-in-my-20-years-as-a-software-engineer?%5F%5FreadwiseLocation=0%2F36%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F4%2F0%3A4%2C38%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F4%2F0%3A0&ref=bramadams.dev#:~:text=Your%20data%20is%20the%20most%2Cwell%20in%20the%20long%20run.))

raw data is the stuff programs work against, the static 1s and 0s that represent patterns. functions are basically just giant [orms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object%E2%80%93relational%5Fmapping?ref=bramadams.dev). i do wonder the effect this logic has on the functional programming zealots though.

The act of building and maintaining a Zettelkasten is similar work. It is focused on the **content** of individual notes, and how dense their local neighborhoods are through connection.