[Leherenn]

Even then, is it? If the choice is between having a major restructuring which results in breaking compatibility and similar once, or kicking the can every 20 years with a minimal patch; I can certainly see the later being the rational decision.

[buran77]

It just so happens that 20 years later both the engineer and the manager have moved on and you find about the patch you needed when your production goes down. And even the corner cutting rarely implies just a "minimal" patch anyway.