The software Peter principle is used in software engineering to describe a dying project which has little by little become too complex to be understood even by its own developers.
It is well known in the industry as a silent killer of projects, and by the time the symptoms arise it is often too late to do anything about it. Good managers can avoid this disaster by establishing clear coding practices where unnecessarily complicated code and design is avoided.
The name is used in the book C++ FAQs (see below), and is derived from the Peter Principle — a theory about incompetence in hierarchical organizations.
Famous quotes containing the words peter and/or principle:
“Alcohol is nicissary f’r a man so that now an’ thin he can have a good opinion iv himsilf, ondisturbed be th’ facts.”
—Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936)
“A state of war or anarchy, in which law has little force, is so far valuable, that it puts every man on trial. The man of principle is known as such, and even in the fury of faction is respected.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)