Today I heard the phrase “Insensible Loss” on a local radio program. It was coined by a medical doctor. He defined Insensible Loss as the loss a person experiences without awareness through their natural senses. For example, we constantly breathe. We inhale and exhale air, while not sensing the exchange. How do you know it happens? You can observe your breathe on a cold morning. The vapor becomes visible, and you can see the exchange.
When working with software, I believe there is a lot of insensible loss that can occur. Before reading any further, can you think of an example? I made immediate correlations in the strange workings of my brain.
When software works as it should, there is little concern for what lives behind the scenes. If it meets the customer’s requirements, and has reasonable performance, then we are satisfied that we did a good job. Then the cold morning comes along, and exposes the areas we cannot sense on a daily basis. One of the most hated, unexpected, senses is when the software stops working, or slows down dramatically. The customer is no longer able to perform the business that pays your salary. You are in deep trouble, and must locate the cause and fix it ASAP!
Another loss I have experienced is when the Customer decides they want to expand a system. All of your design decisions that make the original software work are exposed to the light. Now you may need to change them. Perhaps you don’t have enough testing in place, making it difficult to change the software without fear of breaking something. Perhaps you have designed yourself into a corner, and will have to make major changes that were not anticipated.
Perhaps your software simply does not scale. It works fine in a test environment. But, as soon as you release it out for a normal work load, it just can’t keep up.
I really like this term, “Insensible Loss.” I think I’ll give it more thought. While you’re thinking about it, how about leaving a comment regarding your ideas of Insensible Loss; maybe even a personal experience.
Cheers,
Ben