Although open source code and projects are often celebrated for their modularity, adding mutiple options can become more trouble than it’s worth for everyone.
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Sometimes, when trying to make it easier to work in an application, our instinct is to add optional features that users can enable if their situations require a specific functionality. Our intentions may be good, but these actions can actually cause more problems, since we invite users to second-guess their choices by adding extra steps into the user experience.
One of the most celebrated aspects of open source is the freedom that allows developers to brighten a user’s day by adding an optional feature that may not be for everyone, but allows a small portion of users to engage with a project in a specific way. While it may seem like a great idea to cater to individual needs, there are several disadvantages to making something an option.
Creating extra options means more work for both frontend and backend teams. These features add additional code, tests, and documentation for each setting, and the various states alter the UI.
