In the olden days I worked with a major drive manufacturer in their semiconductor manufacturing processes as a consultant. In those days there were so many interdependent variables and so few ways to measure and analyze them that scientists and technicians developed persistent "superstitions" about what led to a good yield and what did not. If they washed their hands with a certain kind of soap on a day that the yield was bad, then they would forever ban that soap.
When measurement and statistical process control techniques improved, we were able to weed out many of the superstitions (my role was process control and measurement consulting).
I see SharePoint as being much the same. Urban legends are occurring and persisting. Because of the nature of SharePoint and its inherent decentralization, it is difficult to categorically prove or disprove a proposition, so the proposition persists.
Best Practices provide a good set of baseline behaviors against which unintended consequences, and their resulting urban legends, can be mitigated.
I hope to see you at the SharePoint Best Practices Conference... we'll battle the SharePoint urban legends together!
SharePoint Best Practices Conference
February 2-4
San Diego, California
www.sharepointbestpractices.com
© 2008, Mark Ragar Schneider, All Rights Reserved
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