Every internal technical email list I’ve ever been on has had one of these conversations:
A) module XYZ didn’t work by itself, what’s up?
B) superstition and voodoo, XYZ will EAT YOUR SOUL.
C) did you remember to click the button?
A) seems to work okay when you click the button, but maybe I’d better have some backup in case it EATS MY SOUL.
It really doesn’t matter how the button is documented or positioned, once engineer B has been burned, it’s game over for product XYZ. Since B is a well-respected senior staffer, everyone else listens to them, and it’s up to C to counter the voodoo.
And that is why C must always monitor internal technical email lists very closely.
A closely related issue is the presence of A, AKA the FNG. If it weren’t for new blood giving things a try, XYZ would be dead in the water. Something to think about when evaluating the performance of B.
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