:misfeature: /mis-fee'chr/ or /mis'fee`chr/ n. A feature that
eventually causes lossage, possibly because it is not adequate for
a new situation that has evolved. Since it results from a
deliberate and properly implemented feature, a misfeature is not a
bug. Nor is it a simple unforeseen side effect; the term implies
that the feature in question was carefully planned, but its
long-term consequences were not accurately or adequately predicted
(which is quite different from not having thought ahead at all). A
misfeature can be a particularly stubborn problem to resolve,
because fixing it usually involves a substantial philosophical
change to the structure of the system involved.
Many misfeatures (especially in user-interface design) arise
because the designers/implementors mistake their personal tastes
for laws of nature. Often a former feature becomes a misfeature
because trade-offs were made whose parameters subsequently change
(possibly only in the judgment of the implementors). "Well, yeah,
it is kind of a misfeature that file names are limited to six
characters, but the original implementors wanted to save directory
space and we're stuck with it for now."
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
eventually causes lossage, possibly because it is not adequate for
a new situation that has evolved. Since it results from a
deliberate and properly implemented feature, a misfeature is not a
bug. Nor is it a simple unforeseen side effect; the term implies
that the feature in question was carefully planned, but its
long-term consequences were not accurately or adequately predicted
(which is quite different from not having thought ahead at all). A
misfeature can be a particularly stubborn problem to resolve,
because fixing it usually involves a substantial philosophical
change to the structure of the system involved.
Many misfeatures (especially in user-interface design) arise
because the designers/implementors mistake their personal tastes
for laws of nature. Often a former feature becomes a misfeature
because trade-offs were made whose parameters subsequently change
(possibly only in the judgment of the implementors). "Well, yeah,
it is kind of a misfeature that file names are limited to six
characters, but the original implementors wanted to save directory
space and we're stuck with it for now."
-- The AI Hackers Dictionary
Related:
- misfeature /mis-fee'chr/ or /mis'fee`chr/ n.
[common] A feature that eventually causes lossage,
possibly because it is not adequate for a new situation... - featurectomy: /fee`ch*r-ek't*-mee/ n. The act of removing a
feature from a program.
Featurectomies come in two flavors, the `righteous'... - Nightmare File System: n. Pejorative hackerism for Sun's Network
File System (NFS).
In any nontrivial network of Suns where there is... - featurectomy /fee`ch*r-ek't*-mee/ n.
The act of removing
a feature from a program.
Featurectomies come in two flavors, the `righteous'... - feature n.
1. [common] A good property or behavior (as
of a program).
Whether it was intended or not is immaterial. 2... - That's not a bug, that's a feature!: The {canonical} first
parry in a debate about a purported bug.
The complainant, if unconvinced, is likely to retort... - vaxocentrism /vak`soh-sen'trizm/ n.
[analogy with
`ethnocentrism'] A notional disease said to afflict C programmers
who persist in coding according to certain assumptions that are
valid (esp.
under Unix) on VAXen but false elsewhere. Among ... - workaround: n. 1. A temporary {kluge} used to bypass,
mask, or otherwise avoid a {bug} or {misfeature}... - screw: [MIT] n. A {lose}, usually in software. Especially used for
user-visible misbehavior caused by a bug or misfeature.
This use has become quite widespread outside MIT...
From the same category:
- There is no room for death,
Nor atom that his might could render void;
Thou--Thou art Being and Breath And what Thou art may... - In notes by distance made more sweet.
-- William Collins (1720-1756)
-
The Passions, Line... - The moon may be smaller than Earth,
but it's further away... - The sudden sight of me causes panic in the streets.
They have yet to learn - only the savage fears what... - Remember always: a wise man walks with his head bowed,
humble like the dust. -- Master...
