A very important part of code 10/17 is the 'increasing' unhappiness. Things are perceived to be getting worse. There is an escalation. There is an element of projecting into the future and seeing things get worse. It is not just a hindsight judgement. '10/17 about your poor performance.' '10/17 about this court case.' '10/17 about our ability to collect outstanding debts.' Code 10/17 is usually applied to some specific situation, project, sector, etc. It may also be used in a general way with reference to the political or economic climate.