Few geeks are unfamiliar with the concept of the Mythical Man-Month from Fred Brooks’
classic software engineering tome by the same name. It’s a classic for good reason, which is probably why the debate has been so intense in the past week over a high-profile example that some say refutes it. Fifty comments appeared in short order on the Ksplice Software Blog, where the story was first told; a stampede of Slashdot bloggers then added hundreds of their own. Insults were hurled; assertions were mocked. The dust has yet to settle.