As Ive gotten older, I have severely relaxed my dogma on coding standards. I agree that code should be maintainable, legible and logically formed. Sometimes though, you just need to get things done, and architecting a large solution of abstractions and frameworks, just doesn't seem like a good use of time.
Some things I care about a lot less, others I care about more. The biggest problem I have is with obscure code, and my understanding of obscure has shifted over time.
Basically, I prefer code that gets you to ask the right questions. I'm still trying to put my finger on what qualities those are.
I still care about code that looks one way but does something else, and I care about code that conceals what it's doing and how it accomplishes it by using convoluted delegation.
But a function with a single purpose and clearly named? If it's loaded with kruft I only care if it's on a flame chart or I have to keep stepping through it while debugging another issue. So I care more about functions in the middle or the top of the call tree and less about the leaf node ones.
I still push back on "It's not that hard to figure out this code" on the grounds that when an odd bug happens I'm going to be scanning dozens of functions trying to spot an issue. If every one is chock full of code smells, that process takes forever. In fact it discourages people from doing the right thing and instead they slap more workarounds on top instead of trying to find the real cause.
