I honestly believe that hiding complexity behind a closed door does not eliminate it. However, a lot of software and service vendors have a vested interest in convincing people otherwise. And, historically, they've had all sorts of great platforms for doing so. Who doesn't enjoy a free day out of the office, with lunch provided?
It's also much easier to hide complexity than it is to remove it. One can be accomplished with (relative) turnkey solutions, generally without ever having to leave the comfort of your computer. Whereas the other generally requires long hours standing in front of a chalkboard and scratching your head.
On the other hand, hiding complexity behind closed doors can be a very valuable thing, if it lets you keep track of who knows about the complexity behind each. I can't count the number of issues I've encountered that would have taken minutes instead of hours if only I'd known which specific experts I needed to talk to.
> It's also much easier to hide complexity than it is to remove it.
There are multiple ways to hide complexity. Some of them make it easier to remove (eg, refactoring), others make it nearly impossible to remove. In a service market there’s a perverse incentive to move toward the latter.
It's also much easier to hide complexity than it is to remove it. One can be accomplished with (relative) turnkey solutions, generally without ever having to leave the comfort of your computer. Whereas the other generally requires long hours standing in front of a chalkboard and scratching your head.