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> we'll do the quick hack, but only if we're then allowed, in the very short term, to make the fix properly.

What happens when you're not allowed to fix/improve/refactor the hack? Sometimes developers are assigned new tasks immediately.



Generally when you explain to people what you want to do but also agree to do what they've asked for they're relatively happy with the trade-off. My experience is that people aren't against things being done properly, it's only an issue when that gets in the way of what the feel really needs to happen.

If you come up against people who really just won't listen I tend to make a note of the fix, log it as a bug and include it in the next round of bug fixing, the next bit of quiet time or whatever. Alternatively include the refactoring into the estimate the next time I'd have to do significant work on that module.

Two other points while I'm rambling:

Always make sure that the refactoring is genuinely necessary and not just polishing. Some developers like "perfect" solutions but often this results in over engineering and significantly increased timescales. The key question I find useful is "am I coding for a specifically stated requirement or probable edge case or am I extrapolating to what I think might be useful / needed in the future?". I'm with Kent Beck on code only for what you specifically need today.

Secondly, only real issue with this approach I've outlined is if someone micromanages your time so heavily that you can't do any of that AND they won't listen to reason. In that instance you might want to consider your options but I've only ever once been in that position.


Then the promise has been broken, you nag them about it, and the next time you use it as why you won't do it.

Never say, "You're lying" though. Instead say, "once burned, twice shy".


If you're a good politician, that may help you push the right buttons - but unless you can show concrete business damage because of the choices made, you are still likely on the nasty end of the stick. Nobody cares whether the developers are happy with the code - they care whether the code solves their problem or not.


What promise? The point was that the managers won't promise anything.


What promise? The point was that the managers won't promise anything.

The promise that you'd get time to do the fix. Which didn't happen. That was how I read:

> > we'll do the quick hack, but only if we're then allowed, in the very short term, to make the fix properly.

>What happens when you're not allowed to fix/improve/refactor the hack? Sometimes developers are assigned new tasks immediately.


"Sometimes"? That's like saying that SOMETIMES rain is wet.




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