Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

Compiling before you’re sure your program works is often a symptom of the hacker mindset. If you’re not caught in the hacking-and-compiling cycle, compile when you feel it’s appropriate. But be conscious of the tug most people feel toward “hacking, compiling, and fixing” their way to a working program.

Steve McConnell in Code Complete

The vicious cycle of hacking and (in the case of web development) refreshing is highly tempting, but it does not foster development excellence.