Take the 2-minute tour ×  There is a lot of conversation
regarding best practices1 in software development. I've seen at
least three major points get a lot of discussion both on SE and
elsewhere:    • What qualifies as a best practice, and why?   •
Are best practices even worth discussing in the first place,
because it's reasonable to assert that no practice is a "best"
practice?   • When should you forego a best practice -- or
perhaps most best practices -- either because it doesn't seem
applicable or because of external constraints (time, money,
etc.) that make the trade-off impractical?  Something that seems
to come up far less often, but more than never, is a notion of
common sense in software development. Recent experience has
brought this notion to the front of my mind again.  My initial
impression is that it is a different discussion than best
practices, but with perhaps some cross-pollination.  When I
think of common sense in general, I think of a set of rules that
you've either picked up or been taug