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Concept

Technical Debt

Foundational Concept

A metaphor for the implied future cost of choosing an easy but limited software solution now instead of a better, more thorough approach that would take longer, with the shortcut, like a financial debt, accruing interest in the form of extra work later if it is not addressed.

Facts
Origin Year
1992 1
Core Principle
The cost to maintain a system that is attributable to choosing an expedient solution for its development. 1
Connections

In Field

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Technical debt
  • History section
    Ward Cunningham coined the term technical debt in 1992.
  • Lead, first sentence
    is a qualitative description of the cost to maintain a system that is attributable to choosing an expedient solution for its development.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Who coined the term technical debt and when?

Ward Cunningham coined the term in 1992.

Ward Cunningham coined the term technical debt in 1992. Wikipedia's account of the term's history credits him with the metaphor, and describes the concept as the cost to maintain a system that is attributable to choosing an expedient solution for its development.
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