[NullInvictus]

It's a classic example of Goodhart's Law.

Setting a goal of "Zero or Near" down times doesn't necessarily mean less down times, but it usually does mean politics, shell games and 'clever' bookkeeping by middle and lower management, all of which is clearly visible to the rank and file.

Before you had down times and customers wondering if they could trust you. After a goal of "Zero or Near", you still have "down times", and you still have customers wondering if they can trust you while they stare at a status page is clearly lying to them.

But now you have employees watching their managers lying to their bosses, and wondering why they shouldn't do the same. You have a fall in morale, because those pretty numbers usually come at the expense of the things on the "Our Values" page. But to the Suits the graphs look better, and that's the important bit.

This isn't how is always is or always goes, but I've seen it enough.