Update Anxiety Spiral

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

All developers live by this Mantra. But what if the act of "not fixing it" is quietly breaking everything? In this edition of TechParadox.dev, we tackle the question that haunts developers everywhere: why do we fear updating dependencies and how can we break free from this anxiety spiral?

The Paradox: Stability vs. Progress

Stability is a developer’s best friend - until it’s not. The paradox lies in the fact that by clinging to outdated dependencies for the sake of stability, we create instability in the long run. Think of it like refusing to change the tires on your car because they haven’t burst yet. Sure, they’re holding up now, but every mile you drive adds risk.

Updating promises shiny new features, enhanced security and probably compatibility with new libraries. Yet we hesitate, worrying it might break our system. And it’s a 💯 valid. This tension between desire for progress and fear of disruption creates what I call the “update anxiety spiral”.

Picture this scenario:

➦ Month 1: "It's just three minor versions behind."

➦ Month 3: "Well, now it's a major version, but we're stable."

➦ Month 6: "Is this package even maintained anymore?"

➦ Month 12: "Maybe we should just rebuild the entire application..."

How Did We Get Here? The Slippery Slope

Stage 1: Denial

• "We'll update next sprint"

• "It's just a minor version"

• "No one else has complained about these vulnerabilities" (my fav argument 😬 )

Stage 2: Bargaining

• "Maybe if we wait, they'll release a better version"

• "We can probably skip this major version and jump to the next one"

Stage 3: The Reality Hit

npm audit
► Found 1,847 vulnerabilities (42 low, 1,337 moderate, 468 high)

Anxiety is not Wrong

• The Fear of the Unknown: What if your perfectly crafted system collapses like a house of cards?

• The Avalanche Effect: Updating one dependency can trigger a domino effect, requiring updates to others. (Have you used Pandas, Numpy? )

Cost of Avoidance

By dodging updates, we’re not avoiding problems; we might be stockpiling them. Cost of which includes:

• Security Risks - You know what I mean

• Technical Debt - Yeah, I’m paying that as well

• Stagnation - FYI… latest version of Java is 23 (we’re still at Java 8 xD)

Breaking Free: The Practical Escape Plan

1. Normalize Increment Updates:

• Stop treating updates as events; they're maintenance

• Dedicate time/sprint for maintenance activities

2. Balance Risk and Reward:

• Not every update is critical.

• Focus on high-impact changes first.

• Prioritize updates based on risk and necessity.

3. Invest in Automation:

• Develop automated testing suites

• Implement robust rollback strategy

• Explore tools like Dependabot or Renovate to manage dependencies

4. Setup a Guild:

• Track outstanding items on dashboards

• Schedule monthly “Update Parties” to go over outstanding items

Conclusion: Embracing the Chaos

Updating dependencies isn’t just a chore - it’s a strategic execution. Make a strategy to handle dependency updates, suits your projects need and keep eye on it.

Remember: True stability comes from adapting to change, not avoiding it. Embrace the chaos.

Until next time, Cheers

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Thanks for reading,
Kelvin
TechParadox.dev