Software cruft

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a box of toys. At first, all of them are new and shiny and work perfectly. But as you play with them over time, some toys may break or you might lose some tiny parts. And then you keep adding new toys to the box too.

Similarly, when computer programmers write a software program, they start with a clean slate and everything works great at the beginning. But over time, more and more code gets added on top of the existing ones, some code stops working or becomes outdated, and new features and updates keep getting added.

So just like your toy box becomes messy and cluttered over time, software can also become cluttered with code that isn't used anymore or that conflicts with newer code. This is called "software cruft". It can slow down the program, make it harder to understand and fix, and even cause errors or crashes.

To keep the software running smoothly, programmers have to periodically clean up the cruft by removing old code and streamlining the newer code. It's like tidying up your toy box by getting rid of the broken toys and keeping only the ones you still play with.