Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!emory!stiatl!tok
From: tok@stiatl.UUCP (Terry Kane)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: CASE - The Emperor has no clothes on!
Message-ID: <10204@stiatl.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jun 90 22:36:35 GMT
References: <37538@genrad.UUCP> <7486@fy.sei.cmu.edu>
Organization: Sales Technologies Inc.  Atlanta, Ga.
Lines: 45

bwb@sei.cmu.edu (Bruce Benson) writes:

>In article <5190@stpstn.UUCP> you write:
>>
>>The trouble with Computer Aided Software Engineering is that it presumes
>>the existence of such a thing as Software Engineering.
>>
>>How can robust engineering or even scientific practices ever develop in
>>a field so long as *everything* is reinvented from first principles?

>Does this failure to exercise discipline really imply a lack of engineering
>know how?  Maybe it is still just too costly for what you get out of it?

>How much has bridge building changed since the first bridge was built? Sure
>the techniques and materials have changed dramatically, but a bridge of
>today would still be recognized by a builder of centuries past.  The same
>for buildings.  

You've brought up a very good point of divergence between traditional forms
of engineering and software engineering.  SE builds tools for the manipulation
of information (most of the time - automation/process control being the
broad exception, but elec engrs. typically write that software, at least here
in Atlanta, gawdawful stuff too, but I diverge :->).  Civil Engrs can, and must
for the public good, share data/techniques and can acquire the same at little
cost.  CE's capital expenditures are for materials - they produce tangible
stuff!

SEs produce intangibles that are often expensive to reuse - that is, company
A may choose to reinvent the wheel (RTW) rather than pay royalties to a half 
dozen vendors of "software chips" for thousands of copies of 'em.  On the other
hand, Company B may only have a limited universe of customers, and so choose
to use a vendors product.  

Certainly we know from comp.risks that SEs _must_, for the public good, 
produce well engineered tools, but imho it ain't gonna be economic for some
time.  I hope not to have offended by popping into this discussion like this
with these half baked ideas, but by golly, I just have to say that software
engineering is like military intelligence etc.

Personal Opinions!
-- 
Terry Kane                                             gatech!stiatl!tok
Sales Technologies, Inc
3399 Peachtree Rd, NE
Atlanta, GA  (404) 841-4000