Chapter Two. Fool s Gold

Chapter Two. Fool's Gold

Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.

FRANCIS BACON

Software problems have persisted partly because of the bewitching appeal of a few common, ineffective practices. During the California Gold Rush in the late 1840s and early 50s, some prospectors were deceived by fool's gold iron pyrite a substance that has the luster and sparkle of gold. Unlike gold, iron pyrite is flaky, brittle, and virtually valueless. Experienced miners know that real gold is soft, malleable, and doesn't break under pressure. For 50 years, software developers have been succumbing to the temptation of their own fool's gold. They are drawn to flawed practices that have a seductive appeal, but the practices that make up software's fool's gold, like iron pyrite, are flaky, brittle, and virtually valueless.