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Explores why 1990s programmers like John Carmack, Linus Torvalds, and Richard Stallman became legendary figures. The era's severe hardware constraints—limited RAM, slow processors, and scarce resources—forced developers to write highly optimized code and build tools from scratch. Without modern conveniences like package managers, AI assistants, or abundant tutorials, programmers had to master low-level optimization techniques, including manual memory management and assembly code. While the problems were simpler in scope compared to today's distributed systems, the technical challenges were significantly harder, creating a generation of developers with deep systems knowledge.

Why were 90s programmers so legendary?

That cover with these eyes, please… I can’t look at it. It’s sooo ugly.

Much like music, for the most part only the best get remembered, and not all the best, either. There is plenty of old games with poorly-written code. It’s like asking why classical musicians were such great composers; people bothered to remember Mozart, Beethoven, van Gogh, etc. There were indubitably dozens of composers whose names are known only to dedicated historians, and hundreds more whose names have been completely forgotten. Possibly more than that; I’m not a historian, and have no real idea.

I like to learn the hard way to get better. I only ask the AI if there is something I don’t understand or if there are any unsolved problems after a long time.

Few people express gratitude for the fact that we can safely access various countries by plane today without accidents.
Even though countless individuals dedicate themselves to this effort, no one remembers the names of every pilot or crew member.
What remains in people’s records are the great figures who first achieved manned flight.
(This topic may generate somewhat unnecessary differences of opinion, so I’ll refrain from quoting famous sayings.)

They made the best of their situation working with constraints beyond their control. Perhaps in 30 years some will say the same about some of us.