No. Run away from any sort of refactor or rewrite. Don't even think about it. Do not proceed. If you're thinking that you can do better, you will be humbled in the worst way. Ignore my warning at your peril. I'll never again for the rest of my life make the horrible mistake of rewriting any system. The article's tactics are all good advice – but it's like tactics for surviving on the front line. You win by never going there in the first place.