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> Nobody will want to say "Yeah, GMail is actually great so I left it alone and didin't muck with it, can I have my raise?"

Does this incessant desire for change/to be seen to be doing something have a name?

It came up in a political commentary I was reading (about how politicians have to be seen to do something, even if the status quo is better), and I've noticed it in the "curve of website disillusionment" for clients ("Our website is 3 years old ergo a new shiny one will be much better. No, we didn't do any research but it's obvious 'cause it's old")




The "get rid of the duck" story comes to mind: http://pud.com/post/59851751577/the-duck-technique


Joel Spolsky called it 'Fire and Motion'.

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000339.html


I've referred to it in conversations as movement vs progress: things that progress you forward toward a goal, or simply movement which could be in circles, backwards, side to side, hand waving etc.




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