Skipping a bug is generally not recommended as it can have adverse effects on an application's functionality and user experience. Even minor bugs can cause problems that can damage user trust in your application, and consequently, your brand. In this article, we will explore scenarios where it might be acceptable to skip a bug and focus on higher-priority issues:
1- The bug is extremely minor:
If the bug does not impact the user experience or the app's functionality, you might consider skipping it. However, you should still prioritize fixing even minor issues to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
2- The bug is difficult to reproduce:
If you cannot reproduce a bug or if it occurs infrequently, you might consider postponing the fix until you can gather more information. However, you should still log the bug and try to gather as much information as possible to fix it in the future.
3- The bug is caused by an external factor:
Bugs might be caused by third-party libraries or external factors outside of your control. In such cases, skipping the bug might be a valid option, but you should still ensure that the impacted feature remains functional and doesn't impact the application's stability.
4- The bug is too expensive or time-consuming to fix:
Sometimes, the cost or effort required to fix a bug might outweigh its importance, if there are no immediate or obvious negative impacts on the user experience, you might consider postponing the fix until you have more resources available.
5- The bug is redundant:
Sometimes, multiple bugs might be reported that are similar. In such cases, fixing one bug might automatically fix the others as well. In such cases, you might consider skipping the redundant bugs and focusing on fixing the underlying issue.
Final thought
It's worth noting that skipping bugs should be a last resort and should only be done after a thorough analysis of the issue and its potential impact on the user experience and the application's overall stability. Regardless of the situation, it's crucial to log every bug and analyze it to prioritize which issues to fix first.