Best Practices should not be the end of a conversation

Sometimes, Best Practices can be used as an end all to a conversation. No more needs to be said, because Best Practices have laid out the final statement … and that doesn’t really feel right.

Best practices weren’t always best practices. At some point a new technology came around and people started working with it to create their own practices. And the practices that worked stuck around. Over time, those practices might be written down as suggested practices for a particular technology stack. And, when coming from the authoritative source for a technology stack, they might be labeled as Best Practices.

But, usually, when I hear Best Practices used as an end all to a conversation, it’s not in reference to a particular technology stack. It’s used as a generalization, to explain guidance to approach an area. The guidance is supposed to help people who haven’t done something before start off in the right direction. It’s supposed to be a starting point. And I think you’re supposed to continue to study the usage of those practices, to determine what the right practices are for your environment and your technology stack. Maybe even setup criteria to evaluate if a practice is working successfully in your environment. And, then change a practice if it doesn’t meet your needs.

That isn’t a trivial thing to do. You have to first understand where the practices came from and what they were accomplishing. But, once you do, you should be able to see where their limitations are and where they can be expanded. Sometimes a technology stack wasn’t available when a practice was written, and that changes the possible ways a desired outcome can be achieved. To change a practice, you have to be knowledgeable of what outcomes are trying to be achieved, and the pitfalls that come with them; and then make a decision based on the trade-offs of going to a new practice.

The only way to create a new practice, is if Best Practices are the start of a conversation, not the end of one.

(Maybe we could also drop the word “Best”, and just make them practices?)