Reading a book, I came across an expression I really can't parse.
For some developers, the invocation of
the word plan is cause for alarm.
Endless meetings with pointy-haired
bosses creating reams of printed
Microsoft Project plans that nobody
understands or uses are a valid cause
for alarm. So, techies often
overcompensate in our rebellion
against perceived overplanning by
constantly flying by the seat of our
pants.
I understand what he's saying with that last sentence—that sometimes developers go too far in avoiding planning—but can't make head nor tail of how he puts it. Can anyone explain the logic (if any) behind this phrase?
Best Answer
The meaning and origin is covered in this article on The Phrase Finder. An extract:
This Sydney Morning Herald article also says that before advanced instruments, pilots would have use the feel and slide of the seat to tell how the plane was moving.