5 ms·
> Another variation on the problem is the over-allocation of resources to preventing problems which actually happened once, versus those that are more severe bu
by Pet_Ant 3y ago
> Another variation on the problem is the over-allocation of resources to preventing problems which actually happened once, versus those that are more severe but haven't happened yet.
I've heard this called "institutional scarring" in a blog post somewhere. The idea is a small wound can be replaced with tough inflexible tissue. The jist of the blog post was that just because something happened, doesn't mean you have to change things to ensure it never happens again because that can be an over-reaction that really burdens your future. Accept that loss and that it just might happen again, but that may be better than onerously preventing it with certainty.
- fatihpense 3y agoI remember this blog post, it was also a chapter in their book Rework https://signalvnoise.com/archives2/dont_scar_on_the_first_cut https://signalvnoise.com/archives2/dont_scar_on_the_first_cu...
- Pet_Ant 3y agoFor posterity: the term is actually "organizational scar tissue" not "institutional scarring". Surprised you found it despite my butchery!
- joshuahutt 3y agoI called the dev form of this “tech trauma.” e.g., You were tasked with working on a ball of mud and it was miserable, so the next system you get the chance to build has to be the most scalable, modular, and cutting-edge thing ever, just to be safe.
- zilti 3y agoSame thing constantly happens in governments, too. "Oh no, something that's been done for 200 years now caused issues once! We have to restrict/regulate/bureaucratize/outlaw it immadiately!"