[munksbeer]

This is a very interesting aspect. I've been thinking along these lines.

Consider design patterns, or clean code, or patterns for software development, or any other system that people use to write their code, and reviewers use to review the code. What are they actually for? This question is going to seem bizarre to most programmers at first, because it is so ingrained in us, that we almost forget why we have those patterns.

The entire point is to ensure the code is maintainable. In order to maintain it, we must easily understand it, and and be sure we're not breaking something when we do. That is what design patterns solve, making easier to understand and more maintainable.

So, I can imagine a future where the definition of "production code" changes.