Why Are Shortcuts Like Broken Windows?

Introduction

In the introduction of this course, I cursed the fact that we feel forced to take shortcuts all the time, building up a great heap of technical debt we never have the chance to pay back.

To prevent shortcuts, we must be able to identify them. So, the goal of this chapter is to raise awareness regarding some potential shortcuts and also to discuss their effects.

With this information, we can identify and fix accidental shortcuts. Or, if justified, we can even consciously opt-in to the effects of a shortcut$^{9}$.

The Broken Windows Theory

In 1969, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment to test a theory that later became known as the “Broken Windows Theory”.