'''Description'''

There are a bunch of roaches running around, and you quickly try to squash as many of them as possible.  In the process of trying to squash one of the last remaining roaches, you move a window that he ran behind, and a bunch more scurry out.

You feel like you are accomplishing something as you make the number of remaining bugs go down... but get demoralized when doing that, you uncover more bugs that make the remaining bug count go up.

I assume this is a bad metaphor to use to describe your software, but I think it applies to a phase that software goes through before XP principles are applied. -- AaronHinni

''Absolutely. On a CodeAndFix project, you reach an insect plateau, and then the rate at which you find new bugs ''finally'' starts going down. Hours of fun! Weeks!! --PhlIp!!!''

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See also GopherHoles, CanOfWorms
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See RefactoringLegacyCode