One of the implicit assumptions in this thread is that the developer actually has a choice -- e.g., he can "run the other way" if it's a bad situation.
That's likely to be true for developers in the early stage of their career, especially if they don't have a lot of financial obligations (mortgage, spouse, children, etc). And it helps to have a resume and current technical skills that might be attractive to some alternative employer.
But I run into a lot of situations where the developer is "trapped" by his/her circumstances -- including the current situation of a lousy economy in which there are few, if any, alternative jobs available. So for many, the relevant question is: what do you do if you're stuck in a death-march project, and don't have the freedom to walk away and get a better job somewhere else?
That's likely to be true for developers in the early stage of their career, especially if they don't have a lot of financial obligations (mortgage, spouse, children, etc). And it helps to have a resume and current technical skills that might be attractive to some alternative employer.
But I run into a lot of situations where the developer is "trapped" by his/her circumstances -- including the current situation of a lousy economy in which there are few, if any, alternative jobs available. So for many, the relevant question is: what do you do if you're stuck in a death-march project, and don't have the freedom to walk away and get a better job somewhere else?
Ed Yourdon