In this context, I'm using "bit rot" as a metaphor in the same way that the author does:
> The first is that it’s a partial explanation for bitrot, the phenomenon where working software seems to deteriorate even when the code is untouched.
What do you suggest instead?
"Software subsidence"? "Digital subsidence"? The problem is that over time, the foundations upon which software is built decay, or need to be replaced...
I've worked with geologists and geological data and I had to look up "subsidence". I kinda had a feeling for what it meant, but it certainly didn't bring up any salient imagery nor help me understand the concept, which is kinda the point of a metaphor.
If you want some salient imagery, take a look at the first image on the Wikipedia page for "Subsidence":
Pretty sure it’s a metaphor. Edit: parent comment was edited.
A bad one
Why is it bad? What's a better one? What would a better one look like?
"context rot" is more aligned with what they are describing, though that's not a metaphor. I can see bitrot being a bad fit, as it's decay of the actual thing rather than the surrounding context.
Except that implies the context has rotted, when in fact the context is fresher than the system within it. While the context may have degraded in some way, the reality is that it's changed according to forces that have acted on it since the code within it was written and deployed. What's rotted is the ability of the system to meaningfully and correctly interact with the context.