# The Curse of a Name: How to Kill a Good Idea

**Published by:** [Chad Fowler](https://paragraph.com/@chadfowler/)
**Published on:** 2021-12-06
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@chadfowler/the-curse-of-a-name-how-to-kill-a-good-idea

## Content

What do the following have in common?Agile Software DevelopmentSix SigmaBehavior Driven DevelopmentSoftware CraftsmanshipDevOpsEach of these represents a good idea that a group of well-meaning people tried (and succeeded) to spread into the world. Each is generally poorly defined and poorly understood. Each term has now lost its meaning. Each term, with new watered-down, wrong-headed interpretations is being used constantly to create a false sense of security and justification for bad practices. In each case, adoption of a good idea is being accidentally replaced by adoption of a name which represents that good idea. The term becomes a placeholder for good intention. I can “do BDD” in the same way that I can sign up for a membership at a gym. I feel the sense of accomplishment without the need to actually get healthy.

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