# feature creep (drift)

*Ordinarily means:* when a project slowly gains extra features it didn't plan for

a drift that narrows the window because no one noticed the boundary moving, and the self-model still treats the old range as real

- Computed level: L15 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: software development

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [drift](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-drift.aimless), [window](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-window.range), [boundary](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-boundary.limit), [self-model](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-self-model.reflexive)

**Through:** none

**Novel properties:**
- emergence

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-feature-creep.drift*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-feature-creep.drift.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*