Re: Fixing things long after they have gone live
Just today I fixed a bug. Customer called, told me he was getting an error when they did some specific thing. I pulled up the logs, found a exception, with a stacktrace containing file names and line numbers. Took a look at the code, made some trivial changes and 15 minutes after they called the fix was in production.
I promise you that this boosted our reputation more than not having the bug would have done. It can swing both ways.
Thing is, this was a trivial bug without real consequences. Not all bugs are the same. Not all software is the same, not even all components of a single piece of software are the same. There is a huge difference between say a print preview not working or salaries not being paid or a huge gaping security hole. Tests and review efforts should be directed accordingly.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
