ChainmailAsSoftwareDevelopmentMetaphor

In the spirit of WarfareAsSoftwareDevelopmentMetaphor and MartialArtsAsSoftwareDevelopmentMetaphor, ChainmailAsSoftwareDevelopmentMetaphor seems a natural fit, albeit a little tongue-in-cheek.

How is chainmail a software development metaphor?

• Both are an inexact science
• Both are woven into progressively higher forms from lower forms
• Both use PiecemealGrowth
• Both deal with non-orthogonal issues constantly
• Both follow the "good, fast, cheap - pick two" rule
• OldCodeRusts and OldChainmailRusts - unless maintained
• SoftwareDevelopment uses unit tests to "armor the code", chainmail uses rings to "armor the body"

Additionally, chainmail has the following characteristics

• FormAndFunctionAreOne
• ItsNotAboutSpeed

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(What's with the sudden and ubiquitous use of the word "orthogonal" in tech writing recently (in 2007)?)

I don't think it's sudden or recent, but it's definitely ubiquitous - see DefinitionOfOrthogonal.