If I had a nickel for every piece of "will be turned off in 6 months, tops" software that my workplace still maintains a decade later, I'd probably double my salary.
> If I had a nickel for every piece of "will be turned off in 6 months, tops" software that my workplace still maintains a decade later, I'd probably double my salary.
Definitely this. I've seen it, too, and I'd wager the vast majority of IT professionals have seen it, too.
At one particular company I spent a decade at, I was brought in specifically to help in the decomissioning of a particular set of legacy databases. One particular database was still on life support because a particular trading desk wouldn't move off of it, and since they made a shit-ton of money for the firm, they got a free pass on it, while IT constantly being dinged every year for the legacy database still being alive. Competing mandates between a profit center and a cost center, the cost center always loses. Which is fine, but then don't blame the cost center for not being able to make their goals because the profit center is dragging their heals. (Which was _not_ done at this firm).
Why didn't the IT folks step in and provide the labor for the conversion? This helps them accomplish their goals. Tading desks love free labor. This shows a novel way in which cost centers can attribute their costs to lines of business. Finally, this demonstrates leadership and initiative by the IT department and heads--especially if they have to fight an uphill battle about IP, and they succeed in convincing the desk.
If I had a nickel for every piece of "will be turned off in 6 months, tops" software that my workplace still maintains a decade later, I'd probably double my salary.