Sometimes being around computers too much can send a nerd “binary”. They begin see things in extremes - all or nothing, something is done or ignored. For example, suppose that documentation of a proposed feature is needed for a team that has never produced documentation before. I’d probably start small and work up to a reasonable level by over a number of iterations. Those nerds that have gone binary would immediately jump to the rolls-royce solution and create (or propose) a fifty page monolith complete with sign-off forms and paragraph level revision numbers.
This problem manifests itself in other ways. Need to write to a log file during installation? Instead of using Jakarta Commons Logging or writing a simple class to do it, they feel the need to design and implement something that approaches the functionality in Commons Logging but obviously takes much longer.
What can be done about it? Not much apart from constantly being on the look out for signs it is about to emerge, and learning which of your nerds have gone binary so you can keep a really close eye on them. Those who have gone binary seem to be generally unaware of it and are often unable to catch themselves unless they are about to overdo the same thing again (ie writing documentation).
rLsIGl Very true! Makes a chagne to see someone spell it out like that.