It's a neat question because my answer is both yes and no. I used to lean back and wonder, but now I am certain that no matter how perfect for the task it was, there's better code that could be created. I operate in this weird sort of metaphysics, in which the impossible can be achieved given enough time and revisions. There are just too many combinations of 1s and 0s for me to believe otherwise. And that huge huge number is growing all the time as storage and mips increase. Programmers are stuck in the middle between business (where time is money, get it out the door so we can bill) and technology (where quality is time, anything less than excellence is not fulfilling at best, and irreparably defective at worst). There is almost always a better way. When there isn't, there is at least a more elegant proof that a better way does not exist. It's the nature of the beast. If you seek it, second, triple and quadruple guess 'til your heart's content and you have pride in what you've done. If you don't seek it, then call it completed. It has more to do with non-technical constraints than with your ability as a programmer which you choose. I always think of prototypes like sand castles. They expose all the architectural issues, and once they're all exposed they can be analyzed and re-factored. Suck out the basic marrow of the problem, wipe the sand clean and rebuild with what you've learned. As an added bonus, I'll encourage you to mix metaphors like a mofo as well.. ;)

But we're programmers! We NEED to know whether instance Koala should be of type Mammal.. and fast because the deadline is rapidly approaching.. if we get it wrong today, do you know how much it will cost to fix it next month? I think that's part of the essence of a lot of these stupid debates. The unfortunate part is that some people get into technology who are simply addicted to stupid debates because "being right" helps them compensate for their single brain cell. (No, not you.. but we've all worked with them) Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Yes. Nowadays Information is incredibly plentiful. Correct information, not quite as much so, so I think it's sometimes nice to have people point out mistakes like this.

What's particularly intriguing is that the main site isn't much better than the anti-example. My favorite:"Enter as much revenant written content in your pages as you can." Yes, all of the content should be composed by the undead.

This only works if they don't already know you, but learn enough sign language to fake it. Then pretend to be deaf. It's helped me in the line at the store a couple of times. You do, however, run the risk that they'll start signing back.