bikeshedding

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Stands for: Parkinson's Law of Triviality

Spending disproportionate discussion on a trivial detail while an important, complex decision passes with little scrutiny.

The name comes from C. Northcote Parkinson's 1957 illustration: a committee approves a nuclear plant quickly but argues for hours over the colour of the bike shed, because everyone has an opinion on the shed and few can weigh the reactor. It is the standing hazard of every design review.

Also known as: bike-shedding, bike shed, law of triviality

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