Whose job is it to enforce the coding standards?  Let that person take it up with them.  That <i>is</i> their job, after all.<p>Personally, though, I would also be gently saying things like, &quot;Dude (or Dudette), you know that&#x27;s not going to pass code review, right?&quot; Maybe I should clarify: you <i>DO</i> have code review, right?<p>Without trying to be too elitist, I would say that a programmer who codes sloppily or cryptically does not have a good philosophy of coding, and that is dangerous in the long run.  That is, they don&#x27;t understand the purpose of programming languages and how they should be used.  Higher order languages are an abstraction that is for the benefit of the programmer, not the computer.  If you don&#x27;t use the language correctly, then you look like a Neanderthal.  It&#x27;s like going to a Chinese restaurant and pulling out a bottle of ketchup.  You clearly don&#x27;t get it.<p>If a programmer refuses to write easy-to-read, contextual code, then they will not stay employed by me for long.  To me, they are not just being &quot;clever&quot; or &quot;economical&quot;, but rather are demonstrating an unrefined bruteness in a profession that requires sophistication and grace.  Programming is art, and they are trying to paint with a shovel.