Does consistency matter?

If you have a single developer on a single project, then perhaps consistency does not matter too much.

However, if you want to scale, either products or developers, then consistency matters.

Why?

So that code does not get drastically reformatted every time someone makes a change, making Git diffs impossible to review.

So that any developer can easily understand and make changes in any part of the codebase.

So that new products can leverage previous efforts.

So that new developers can be more easily on-boarded.

So that we can see patterns and simplify systems.

So that our systems are tested.

So that documentation can be easily found.

Linux Torvalds is being lambasted for encouraging some consistency in Git commits.

But if you read his actual email, the request seems quite reasonable.

The Linux kernel has a well-defined coding style that all contributors are expected to follow.

Have we considered the impact this emphasis on consistency has had on the Linux Kernel's success?

The irony of all this is that consistency is usually done in the name of the "team" or "reuse". But if we reflect a bit, we are mostly just helping ourselves.

We can read and understand our own code in 6 months.

We can find stuff.

We can more easily make changes and improvements.

We have tools helping us.

A little bit of consistency goes a long way in building YOUR Platform.