Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a1157
From: a1157@mindlink.UUCP (Reece Markowsky)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Today's Software Standards (was RE:some advice to a sw e
Message-ID: <3259@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 21 Sep 90 11:53:49 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 36

> 
> Person: Susan Maxwell writes:
> 
> 
> I've seen this sort of politics at work in my industry experience.  An
> upper manager
> in close contact with the marketplace said "This software will be complete at
> this point in time", regardless of the estimates put forth by the
> engineers.  Quality
> per se was not sacrificed, but functionality was cut.  This debilitated
> the software
> to the point that it gained few customers, and the cost of development was
> not
> recovered.  I can't hold the manager completely at fault, however. When
> customers
> want software that does something, they want it *now*.  If you aren't
> fortunate enough
> to be building that software already, the time crunch is always going to
> be there.
> 
> /sfm

        Can this be attributed to the "gap" that exists between the customer
and the developer?  This gap encompasses all the misunderstanding and
misconception.  For example, a customer's misunderstanding of what a prototype
actually is could hurt the developer more than it has helped in defining
precise specifications!  The customer sees what appears to be a working version
of the software, and because of the "gap" is unaware that it is held together
with (to quote Pressman) "chewing gum and baling wire".  They see that
prototype and don't understand it when the developer says... well this has to
be scrapped.... the product must now be rebuilt.  The customer demands    that
a few fixes to the prototype can be made to build a working  product.
Pressman says "Too often software development relents".

  (/
  /) R J M