Featuritis

Featuritis (or creeping featurism) is the tendency to add just one more function to a software project. Beware - this activity is more dangerous than heroin, and far more addictive.

Every "feature" that is added to a application adds complexity. It's the nature of the beast. Never mind that adding yet another feature to the application often does terrible things to the internal structure of the application, it also complicates the user interface. It's yet another item/option to understand and utilize - or ignore.

Noted design guru Donald Norman explains: "Complexity probably increases as the square of the features: double the number of features, quadruple the complexity. Provide ten times as many features, multiply the complexity by one hundred." (Norman 1988: p. 174)

Translation? Complexity kills, simplicity sells.

A must read for anyone in business

Since Steve Jobs passed, there have been a number of books published regarding him and his career. Of the many, I would strongly suggest the book Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success. The e-book is also available on Google Play and iTunes and Kindle.

This book is about much more than computers, software or marketing. It's about the ethos of simplicity and how it applies to all facets of your business, regardless of what that business is.

Introduction

The name of this blog, "Not Really Programming on Purpose" is my homage to P.J. Plauger's column in Computer Language Magazine titled Programming on Purpose.

For those not familiar with Mr. Plauger and his column, buy and read this and this.