The Daily WTF
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The State of Ticketing
Software development requires various supporting tools beyond just editors and compilers. Source control is a prime example of an essential tool. However, many crucial development tools are arguably not "good," but merely "good enough." Build systems are one such category, lacking truly excellent options. Ticket and task management tools also fall into this problematic category, with Jira being a particularly criticized example. Jira's appeal to companies lies in its extensive features, which unfortunately lead to complexity and require users to program custom workflows. This can result in endless configuration by project managers instead of actual project progress. Jira allows for defining ticket workflows as state machines, including automated routing between team members. The text then introduces Klinsten, who encountered a confusing Jira workflow. The example workflow displayed is bilingual (Dutch and English) and overly complex. This excessive number of states and transitions undermines its purpose of clarifying work sequencing for the team. The author expresses frustration, likening the experience to wanting to close a browser tab. The complexity of Klinsten's workflow makes it difficult to understand and use effectively.