I've said it before, tradeoff's pop up in programming all the time. They are often difficult decisions, with no easy answer, and we often make the wrong decision.

I don't think any other kind of situation pops up more in a programmers day to day work than a Tradeoff. Tradeoffs are everywhere and being able to identify and access tradeoffs I think is one thing that makes a great developer.

Here is something I hadn't ever pondered: the tradeoff between usability and user experience:

Freeways are usable, since they take you from A to B in the most effortless way. But they are also utterly boring. A twisting mountain road on the other hand is exiting. But far from usable.