> contrasting craftsmanship and utility, since both are somewhat prized on HN

I'd say they're prized everywhere, though "craftsmanship" is really subjective. and the HN I usually [edit/add: see] seems to have more a meta of "criticize anything someone tries to build, and rave about IQ" tbh ;)

SQLite works and I don't have to think about it why it works (too much). That is IMO a true hallmark of solid engineering.