alt Hacker NewsAnd also false. Good programmers are always aware of the debt. It’s just not easily quantifiable as part of it can only be estimated when a change request has been made. And truly known when implementing the change.
It’s always a choice between taking more time today to reduce the cost of changes in the future, or get result fast and be less flexible later. Experience is all about keeping the cost of changes constant over time.
We can both be aware of the debt and still get choked by it. It's what makes pollution such a great metaphor. We know we're creating it -- even try to mitigate it -- but it still keeps growing.