Tentative Iconoclasm

Questioning cherished beliefs, institutions and artefacts

Destruction of religious images by the Reformed in Zürich, Switzerland, 1524

Icon: some object or person that represents an idea, a set of beliefs, or a way of life; a representative symbol considered worthy of veneration.

In religious terms an icon might be a painting or statue of a saint, a holy relic, or some representation of Christ, but such icons exist in a secular sense too, consider the awe in which we hold certain public/governmental buildings, for example, or country/state constitutions, or even certain world-changing events, especially those such as 9/11 or the Covid-19 lockdowns that are beyond questioning, and take on an almost mythical significance.

In the world of software development the Manifesto for Agile Software Development is an icon, as is the Scrum Guide. It is said by advocates of these methods that you are not agile, or not doing Scrum unless you are strictly abiding by the words of these documents. Both artefacts are considered by many to represent the one true way of advancing the craft of software development.