> The first bits of bad code set a precedent and make subsequent developers feel less bad about using poor code themselves.
This is really just another manifestation of the "Broken windows theory"[1], which I've witnessed in code many times over. I think it's just a fact of human nature, also similar to the "When in Rome..." adage; it doesn't make you feel nearly as dirty to do something awful (whether it's in code or in a run-down urban environment) when there's already lots of problems to begin with.
Comments
> The first bits of bad code set a precedent and make subsequent developers feel less bad about using poor code themselves.
This is really just another manifestation of the "Broken windows theory"[1], which I've witnessed in code many times over. I think it's just a fact of human nature, also similar to the "When in Rome..." adage; it doesn't make you feel nearly as dirty to do something awful (whether it's in code or in a run-down urban environment) when there's already lots of problems to begin with.
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory