2014-04-26 10:52:28 -04:00
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misfeature
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2014-04-26 11:54:15 -04:00
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/misfeechr/ , /misfee`chr/ , n. [common] A feature that eventually causes
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lossage, possibly because it is not adequate for a new situation that has
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evolved. Since it results from a deliberate and properly implemented
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feature, a misfeature is not a bug. Nor is it a simple unforeseen side
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effect; the term implies that the feature in question was carefully planned,
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but its long-term consequences were not accurately or adequately predicted
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(which is quite different from not having thought ahead at all). A
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misfeature can be a particularly stubborn problem to resolve, because fixing
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it usually involves a substantial philosophical change to the structure of
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the system involved. Many misfeatures (especially in user-interface design)
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arise because the designers/implementors mistake their personal tastes for
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laws of nature. Often a former feature becomes a misfeature because
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trade-offs were made whose parameters subsequently change (possibly only in
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the judgment of the implementors). Well, yeah, it is kind of a misfeature
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that file names are limited to six characters, but the original implementors
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wanted to save directory space and we're stuck with it for now.
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