by Ryan Walker •

3 strikes, you’re allowed the “big rewrite”

  • SPAGHETTI FLOWS FREELY: The codebase is large enough to require some refactoring, but very little of it has ever been done.
  • OUTDATED PLATFORM: The site is using outdated technology that no good developer really wants to touch anymore (i.e. Microsoft ASP, data-processing-centric Java, VB.NET, etc.)
  • EXPERIENCE SUCKS: The site is ugly, hard-to-use, etc.

If your app passes on any of the three tests, it may be worth salvaging—3 strikes, it’s out.

Who is to blame?

Who is to blame for an application to get to the point that it needs tossed out the door? If resources were unreasonably constrained by non-IT management against the recommendations made by IT, then the non-IT management is to blame. However, if IT never asked for additional resources to avoid the 3 strikes, then it must take full responsibility for the impending death of a codebase.

Filed under Project Management Software Development