I'm immediately reminded of my favourite Kurt Vonnegut quote: "Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."
I've always felt that the magpie syndrome you describe is because of the desire to build new things, rather than maintain what's there.
I watched a repair show recently where a craftsman repaired an old 70s bedside clock. The pride, time and patience he took in repairing the clock was wonderful to see, actively avoiding rebuilding parts if he could reuse what was there, even if there was a crack or blemish.
I've always respected engineers that maintained and fixed software well, and also knew when to reach for the right tool in the toolbox. Better yet, those that knew when not to build something new. Perhaps that's something you learn through experience and doing, but I wonder if it's actively taught, encouraged, or rewarded in the workplace. It really should help get you your next job.
Is it a flaw though? There's a lot of truth in that eCard: "a clean apartment is a sign of wasted life". How much of technological progress occured to ease the maintenance burden? Is it a flaw that the washing machine is saving people ridiculous amount of time (to the point of, arguably, allowing two-income households to exist in the first place)?
I've always felt that the magpie syndrome you describe is because of the desire to build new things, rather than maintain what's there.
I watched a repair show recently where a craftsman repaired an old 70s bedside clock. The pride, time and patience he took in repairing the clock was wonderful to see, actively avoiding rebuilding parts if he could reuse what was there, even if there was a crack or blemish.
I've always respected engineers that maintained and fixed software well, and also knew when to reach for the right tool in the toolbox. Better yet, those that knew when not to build something new. Perhaps that's something you learn through experience and doing, but I wonder if it's actively taught, encouraged, or rewarded in the workplace. It really should help get you your next job.