Murphy's Law was originally a design principle: design it so it can't go wrong.
Instead of telling people that they have to put the red wire on the red socket, and the black one on the black, make the red one square and the black one round, so they don't fit.
Arthur Bloch's 1977 book, Murphy's Law, and Other Reasons Why Things Go WRONG
I didn’t realize it was a book either.
In lean manufacturing it’s called poka-yoke. The challenging part of designing a physical system that attempts to refuse wrong connections is you rapidly run out of permutations.
In the example given, there is a limited size range where the circle won’t fit in the square AND the square won’t fit in the circle. As the number of permutations goes up it gets more difficult to ensure refusal. Especially if the person involved uses a persuasion device (aka a hammer) on the product.
I have seen some really impressive results of those persuasions, most memorable just for the sheer obstinacy was an operator who had forced a 240v blue, small connector into a 415v red, large connector - nothing should’ve fit, not the pins not the outer casing not the inner. But just using his hands, strength and persistence he’d wedged it in, broken both the plug and the socket completely and was puzzled it wouldn’t work. Blue socket was just 90deg around the same pillar!!
You can Poke-yoke but somehow a way can always be found ;)
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
Jim Kidd’s Radiator Law. Any goal can be subverted by how it’s measured. Example: At one point, the USSR established a goal for factory production of radiators for cars. The goal was X kilograms of radiators per quarter. The response was the production of radiators too heavy to use in the cars.
Great post. My understanding is that the original formulation of Murphy's Law was not "anything that can go wrong will go wrong", but rather "if there are multiple ways to use a widget, and one of those ways will completely break the widget, someone will eventually do that". It was more of a specific observation about UX design rather than just a maximally-cynical generalisation about the entire universe.
I've definitely been using "Cunningham’s law" without realizing it 😂
I'm usually unafraid to post PRs to other people's code with my idea, and they usually correct me in some way telling me how to do it the right way. Funny there's a name for it 😄
#7, 8 - and especially 6 - remind me of Bill Maher's “reverse improvement” rant where “they make an upgrade that nobody wants, needs, or likes, and isn’t actually upgrading anything. It’s just making it different and often worse.”
Back in the day, I looked forward to upgrades. "Ooooo, what new feature/option will I get?" Now, it's "oh no, what useful feature/option did they delete or disable and then hide in a bewildering maze of menu selection."
Good points you made, took a project management class, I saw most of this come true, I was 40 years older than the other students, So guess who outlined how the project got done. We had to build a music studio to teach music lessons in person and on line, when I brough up overhead on the building as well as maintenance on top of rent. I got What ? I was going for cybersecurity degree and this what I given for a project, Instructors last semester.
Thanks for the shoutout, Anton. My post about X/Twitter was a semi-humorous over-generalisation. The El0n Mu5k haters fell prey to Cunningham's law, and sky-rocketed the engagement into orbit.
"13 software engineering laws" most were more suitable for software development than software engineering. There should be a law defining which is which, they are very different things.
Murphy's Law was originally a design principle: design it so it can't go wrong.
Instead of telling people that they have to put the red wire on the red socket, and the black one on the black, make the red one square and the black one round, so they don't fit.
More of this is needed.
Interesting, I was not familiar with the origins. Makes a lot of sense, thanks!
Arthur Bloch's 1977 book, Murphy's Law, and Other Reasons Why Things Go WRONG
I didn’t realize it was a book either.
In lean manufacturing it’s called poka-yoke. The challenging part of designing a physical system that attempts to refuse wrong connections is you rapidly run out of permutations.
In the example given, there is a limited size range where the circle won’t fit in the square AND the square won’t fit in the circle. As the number of permutations goes up it gets more difficult to ensure refusal. Especially if the person involved uses a persuasion device (aka a hammer) on the product.
I have seen some really impressive results of those persuasions, most memorable just for the sheer obstinacy was an operator who had forced a 240v blue, small connector into a 415v red, large connector - nothing should’ve fit, not the pins not the outer casing not the inner. But just using his hands, strength and persistence he’d wedged it in, broken both the plug and the socket completely and was puzzled it wouldn’t work. Blue socket was just 90deg around the same pillar!!
You can Poke-yoke but somehow a way can always be found ;)
Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.
Rick Cook
Finally all these laws in a single list!
Haha yeah I got tired of it too! Been cooking this one for a few months, started with just 5 😅
Don’t forget Cole’s Law: cabbage, mayo, carrots…
😂
Cole’s Law
In any general construction plan there will be at least one element that someone objects to (even if they actually like it).
My wife hates mayo in recipes (unless she doesn’t know that it’s part of the recipe).
I don't have a name for it, but this is well-known: "Complete, bug-free, and delivered on time. Pick any two."
😂
I know it as the iron triangle which is with is cost, scope, time. So quite similar, just with the cost instead of quality.
There must be a named law that states that in any extensive comment string eventually there will be a comment by a pissant disparaging Donald Trump.
😂
It's Godwin's Law, innit? 😜
Jim Kidd’s Radiator Law. Any goal can be subverted by how it’s measured. Example: At one point, the USSR established a goal for factory production of radiators for cars. The goal was X kilograms of radiators per quarter. The response was the production of radiators too heavy to use in the cars.
I think it’s very similar to Goodhart’s law
Great post. My understanding is that the original formulation of Murphy's Law was not "anything that can go wrong will go wrong", but rather "if there are multiple ways to use a widget, and one of those ways will completely break the widget, someone will eventually do that". It was more of a specific observation about UX design rather than just a maximally-cynical generalisation about the entire universe.
Ah, I see Mary Catelli beat me to it.
Yep, but still thanks for pointing out, I was not familiar with the origins :)
Sounds like number 7 could be reasonably applied to Substack in the near future....
It can applied right now.. I hate most of the new changes :/
I've definitely been using "Cunningham’s law" without realizing it 😂
I'm usually unafraid to post PRs to other people's code with my idea, and they usually correct me in some way telling me how to do it the right way. Funny there's a name for it 😄
Yep I’ve also used it unknowingly 😂
#7, 8 - and especially 6 - remind me of Bill Maher's “reverse improvement” rant where “they make an upgrade that nobody wants, needs, or likes, and isn’t actually upgrading anything. It’s just making it different and often worse.”
Back in the day, I looked forward to upgrades. "Ooooo, what new feature/option will I get?" Now, it's "oh no, what useful feature/option did they delete or disable and then hide in a bewildering maze of menu selection."
Good points you made, took a project management class, I saw most of this come true, I was 40 years older than the other students, So guess who outlined how the project got done. We had to build a music studio to teach music lessons in person and on line, when I brough up overhead on the building as well as maintenance on top of rent. I got What ? I was going for cybersecurity degree and this what I given for a project, Instructors last semester.
This was very good and super well done. I needed a good read and this was the right day and this was the right article. Perfect.
Wow thanks a lot for the compliment Mike, appreciate it! 🙏
Thanks for the shoutout, Anton. My post about X/Twitter was a semi-humorous over-generalisation. The El0n Mu5k haters fell prey to Cunningham's law, and sky-rocketed the engagement into orbit.
Still, I think there is a point about bloated organizations and their resistance :)
Your experience is really valuable—I’d love to learn from you sometime.
what a great article! thanks
"13 software engineering laws" most were more suitable for software development than software engineering. There should be a law defining which is which, they are very different things.