I agree and I think couple months rotation is ideal, actually. I certainly do not advocate architects who do not code etc. Of course, it depends on person. So

I agree and I think couple months rotation is ideal, actually. I certainly do not advocate architects who do not code etc. Of course, it depends on person. Some people are really good architects/developers and you don't want them to spend their days talking customers through issues. On the other hand, some people are more comfortable in support and that's good too. And I think if a bug fix requires larger rearchitecture of the thing (that is, the root of the problem is more conceptual than just incorrect code), then it's better addressed by temporary patch and doing it properly in development cycle.