Why Blaming a Single Developer for a Crash Is Misguided: Lessons from the Xiaohongshu Incident

Recently, some Xiaohongshu app users reported crash issues, which quickly trended on social media and attracted widespread attention.

The official Xiaohongshu customer service account on Weibo acknowledged the crash problem, attributing it to a technical fault and stating that they are working hard to fix it while asking users to be patient.

What caught the programmer community's attention was a circulated screenshot showing a presumed Xiaohongshu developer posting on Weibo that they had been "sacrificed" and apologizing to users for the impact on their experience.

Although Xiaohongshu officially apologized, many netizens continued to call for the developer's dismissal.

As a programmer, I believe blaming a single developer and firing them for a technical fault is an overreaction.

In software development, bugs are inevitable. Whether for a large application like Xiaohongshu or any other software, technical failures and crashes can occur.

Software development is a complex process involving many stages and multiple developers. It is unrealistic to hold a single programmer fully responsible.

Typically, a team collectively handles development and maintenance, including R&D, testing, and operations. Therefore, attributing the issue solely to one developer is unfair.

No one can claim their code is completely bug‑free.

Technical failures and crashes can stem from various factors such as hardware issues, network problems, or third‑party library bugs, many of which are beyond a single programmer's control.

Even diligent programmers cannot guarantee flawless operation under all circumstances.

Crashes may be caused by bugs in the code or system compatibility problems. Developers need to write high‑quality code and conduct thorough testing to ensure stability and reliability.

However, due to project complexity and time pressure, some issues may go unnoticed. Prompt feedback handling and bug fixing are essential for a better user experience.

Firing a programmer does not solve the problem; it may even create more issues.

First, dismissing a developer can destabilize the team and affect project progress and quality. Second, a new developer needs time to become familiar with the codebase, potentially extending the time needed for resolution.

The more reasonable approach to technical faults and crashes is comprehensive troubleshooting and systematic repair.

The team should work together to identify the root cause and implement measures and processes to prevent similar incidents in the future, such as code reviews, testing, optimization, and improving development workflows.