The TODO From 2019
ELI5 - The Vibe Check
'TODO: fix this properly.' No name, no ticket, no context, just sitting there in the code, older than half the people currently working on the file. The TODO from 2019 is the fossil record of every good intention a team has ever had and never followed through on, preserved forever in a comment nobody has the courage to delete.
Real Talk
The TODO from 2019 is a stand-in for any long-abandoned inline comment marking intended future work that was never scheduled, tracked, or completed. Unlinked TODO comments tend to accumulate indefinitely because removing them feels riskier than leaving them, even though most are effectively permanent once they survive their first year unaddressed.
When You'll Hear This
"Found another TODO from 2019 today, right next to one from 2017." / "Either turn the TODO into a ticket or delete it, don't let it become the TODO from 2019."
Related Terms
Backlog
The backlog is the master to-do list for a product — every feature, bug, and idea that hasn't been built yet, prioritised by importance.
Code Smell
Code that works but feels... wrong. Like when food smells slightly off — it might be fine, but something isn't right.
Comment Archaeology
The code makes no sense until you find the one comment, buried two functions away, written five years ago, that explains it was built this way because of a...
Legacy Code
Old code that nobody wants to touch but everyone depends on.
Technical Debt
Technical debt is the coding equivalent of putting things on a credit card.