Timeline for How do you explain refactoring to a non-technical person?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
12 events
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| Apr 12, 2017 at 7:31 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://programmers.stackexchange.com/ with https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/
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| Sep 26, 2012 at 20:11 | history | edited | Nemi | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 180 characters in body
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| Sep 26, 2012 at 20:05 | comment | added | Nemi | @KirkBroadhurst This post explains it slightly differently. You make the decision to take on technical debt strategically. If you explain it this way, you won't get that question. | |
| Sep 26, 2012 at 20:03 | comment | added | Nemi | @ThomasEding (1) This is not an explanation of refactoring, it is an explanation of technical debt. (2) This does explain the why of when to refactor - to a business person. Honestly, they don't care about the technical reason, you do. They want a justifiable reason you are working on something other than the next feature that will drive sales. This is why most programmers can't talk to their boss and complain the boss is stupid. They are not stupid, they just have different drivers than you. | |
| Sep 26, 2012 at 0:22 | comment | added | Dan Rosenstark | @ThomasEding if you really don't understand the post, then this would not be a good explanation for you. It MIGHT be a good explanation for your audience, though, especially if they are finance people. Personally, I don't understand the post, but that's just the ADD talking. | |
| Sep 25, 2012 at 6:45 | comment | added | Kirk Broadhurst | You are just setting yourself up for the obvious follow up so why didn't we build it correctly in the first place? | |
| Sep 25, 2012 at 0:54 | comment | added | Thomas Eding | This is a terrible answer. (1) This is more complicated than the technical explanation of refactoring. (2) This doesn't explain the "why"s of refactoring; it explains the "when"s of refactoring (ie: when it is cost effective). Or maybe I really just don't understand this post, and hence point (1). | |
| Dec 5, 2011 at 13:11 | comment | added | Wayne Molina | This is my preference for explanation, because I like to refer to scrapping everything and rewriting (which often is the only option left due to so much technical debt) as technical bankruptcy | |
| Mar 15, 2011 at 6:24 | history | made wiki | Post Made Community Wiki | ||
| Nov 11, 2010 at 1:38 | comment | added | Christopher Mahan | And people understand that taking out loans to pay the interest on older loans is not sustainable. | |
| Nov 10, 2010 at 18:01 | comment | added | Macneil | +1 for a well reasoned reply that demonstrates realistic economics. Debt is rational at times, and purists miss too many opportunities if they cannot tolerate it. | |
| Nov 10, 2010 at 17:55 | history | answered | Nemi | CC BY-SA 2.5 |