Cynical Software _top_ -

: Just as a cynical person might not get too close to others to avoid getting hurt, cynical code refuses to "get too intimate" with other systems. It implements strict internal boundaries and defensive checks between modules.

: Rather than offering "gorilla holding a banana" interfaces—where you get far more data and complexity than you asked for—cynical APIs are minimal, specific, and hardened against misuse. The Industry Context: Cynical Practice vs. Criticality cynical software

: Derived from ship design, this pattern partitions a system into isolated sections. If one section "floods" (crashes or runs out of resources), the rest of the ship (the application) remains afloat. : Just as a cynical person might not

Building cynical software requires specific architectural patterns designed to isolate and survive failure. The Industry Context: Cynical Practice vs

: Cynical software treats every piece of external data as a potential "input kludge" or attack vector. It validates aggressively and fails fast.