Comments on: Broken Windows Theory in software and your personal life

By: buddy

buddy — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:55:10 +0000

oh man, that makes so much sense! i’m very much a “what’s one more dish in the sink?” kind of guy. i hate dirtying a clean house. so yeah. good point. i know you’re just passing information along from one source to the next, but i’m glad you did, good stuff here man.

By: The definition of hardwork

The definition of hardwork — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:34:45 +0000

I define haredwork as ” an easy work not done well in time” is called hard work.

By: Fight Procrastination!

Fight Procrastination! — Wed, 23 May 2007 02:30:18 +0000

[...] Do it now: Don’t let the Broken Windows Theory eventuate. Take on problems early and often, before they get too big and too hard to overcome. [...]

By: Dave Cheong

Dave Cheong — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:41:19 +0000

Hi Noah,

Thanks for the comment and you make a valid observation.

I guess the argument applies most strongly to things that bug you. If you’re not bugged by the fact there are dishes unwashed, then it doesn’t make much difference washing one plate at a time or a sinkful.

However, if it did bug you, the BW theory is very much applicable. If you really wanted to clear them and you don’t generally like washing up, then it may make more sense to tackle the problem whilst it is small.

The same could be said for software development — if fixing the little things you observe as wrong is not as important as meeting your next deadline or releasing the next whizzbang feature, then it doesn’t make sense to fix them. However if you are at least concerned with the quality of the software (or your standard of living), then yeah, in that case apply the BW theory.

Thanks for dropping by.

dave

By: Noah Hornberger

Noah Hornberger — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:19:42 +0000

Well, for software this makes lots of sense, but I must critique your application to my home life as a reader. You use examples of chores that must be done in the home that if not done at once, will collect into larger jobs. Some people prefer to carry out life’s work by splitting it into smaller tasks while others prefer large projects. Some want to avoid large “messes” and some want to avoid “redundancy”. Your illustration of dishes collecting in the sink only works if your reader would be annoyed by such a thing, some people (myself included) would find it obnoxious to stop and take care of every dish instead of carrying on with more important matters. The rest of the article has sound logic, however, this point is very specific to the Type A personality.

By: Dee

Dee — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:20:27 +0000

This theory makes lot of sense. Unfortunately the Washington Post that Tom refers to is racist and should be jettisoned.

By: Dave Cheong

Dave Cheong — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 23:28:01 +0000

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment.

Recently, I’ve found so many instances of the Broken Window Theory in my daily life, that it has reinforced my belief in it to a whole new level. As a conscious choice, I now try to prevent things from escalating to a point they become too difficult to resolve.

dave

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 21:30:58 +0000

David:

This article is so true. I’ve found that many aspects of pragmatic development can be applied to general life. Very good article!

Ryan

By: my_sn

my_sn — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 02:02:36 +0000

it is always my choice to prioritise but it needs my will-power to make a habit of it.

dan millma says it well with “I learned that we can do anything, but we can’t do everything.. at least not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything.”

the crux of the matter is :-
1) Do it today.
2) Tomorrow will be today tomorrow

i was taught that “procrastination is the thief of time” but if it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done just the same .

By: Dave Cheong

Dave Cheong — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 07:08:59 +0000

Thanks for taking the time to comment Steve and Tom.

I totally agree with what you say Steve – that we sometimes need to assess what we’re doing so we can determine if they are indeed worth doing. If time is better spent looking at more efficient ways which lead to greater gains in the long term, then that’s the most sensible thing to do.

I feel the “Broken windows theory” is a good interim solution. Some things cannot be further optimised, for the others, sometimes we don’t have the time at this moment to optimise, so applying the theory can prevent our lives from turning chaotic.