When Feature Flags Go Bad

Explore the potential pitfalls and best practices of feature flags in software development. Learn how to leverage this DevOps technique for release management and long-term control while avoiding common mistakes that can lead to disastrous results. Discover strategies for proper management, visibility, and control of feature flags for both engineering and business users. Gain insights into release cycles, kill switches, controlled rollouts, early access, and IP address blocking. Examine the dark side of feature flags, including ambiguous naming, overuse, conflicts, and leftover flags. Uncover a real-world cautionary tale and acquire a recipe for effective feature flag implementation, complete with audit logs and examples of well-designed flags.

Intro
Ediths background
Release cycles
Feature flags
Kill switch
Controlled rollout
Giving early access
Blocking early releases
Block IP addresses
Dark side of feature flags
Ambiguously named flags
Overuse flags
Conflicting flags
A real story
Left over flags
Recipe for effective feature flags
Audit log
Good feature flags