Wicked problems have no right answers. They demand an iterative and nonlinear path to find optimal solutions. Often implemented solutions will cause more unintended problems. It's like fighting your way out of quick sand - no matter what you do it doesn't seem to definitively help.

Social issues are like this. Some technology issues are like this.

Because of the SUCCESS of TWiki in allowing people to do amazing things with standard technology the issues that are faced in the future will be complex. Black and White issues are a luxury if you haven't implemented anything similar before and are toiling away alone on code to just make it work.

I learned about the idea of Wicked Problems from Jeff Conklin.

-- GrantBow - 16 Jan 2003