Develop a 500-word article outlining strategies for avoiding technical debt.  The article should be structured as follows:</p>
<p>**Section 1: Understanding Technical Debt (100 words):** Define technical debt, its various forms (e.g., code debt, architectural debt, data debt), and the long-term consequences of ignoring it.  Include examples of the impact on development speed, maintainability, scalability, and security.</p>
<p>**Section 2: Proactive Avoidance Strategies (200 words):** Detail proactive measures to minimize technical debt accumulation. This should include:<br />
* **Prioritizing code quality:** Discuss best practices like code reviews, automated testing, and adherence to coding standards.  Provide specific examples of tools and techniques.<br />
* **Architectural design:** Explain the importance of well-defined architecture, modularity, and scalability.  Illustrate with examples of design patterns and architectural styles.<br />
* **Effective project management:** Emphasize the role of realistic planning, iterative development, and agile methodologies in preventing debt build-up.  Highlight the use of tools like Jira or Asana.<br />
* **Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD):** Describe the benefits of CI/CD pipelines in early detection and prevention of technical debt.</p>
<p>**Section 3: Reactive Debt Management (100 words):**  While focusing on avoidance, briefly address strategies for managing existing technical debt.  This includes prioritizing and addressing critical issues, refactoring code, and planning for debt repayment.</p>
<p>**Section 4:  Measuring and Monitoring (100 words):** Explain how to measure technical debt, including metrics and tools. Discuss the importance of regular monitoring and reporting to identify potential issues early.</p>
<p>The article should be written for a technical audience with a basic understanding of software development principles.  The tone should be informative and practical, offering actionable advice and real-world examples.