Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!crdgw1!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!bridge2!jarthur!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!zardoz.cpd.com!dhw68k!felix!asylvain
From: asylvain@felix.UUCP (Alvin E. Sylvain)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: some advice to a software engineer (let's get real)
Summary: what we wanna have meets reality
Keywords: better bad than late unfortunately
Message-ID: <151584@felix.UUCP>
Date: 26 Sep 90 17:27:16 GMT
References: <3213@mindlink.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: asylvain@felix.UUCP (Alvin E. Sylvain)
Followup-To: comp.software-eng
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Lines: 48

In article <3213@mindlink.UUCP> a1157@mindlink.UUCP (Reece Markowsky) writes:
>>>> Josef Moellers Writes:
>>< ... >. Only a very strong person can withstand this pressure.
>
>>Even if You say to yourself: "Better late than bad", Your neigbour will
>>deliver junk in time and win the contract. Nobody will ever find out
>>what YOU might have delivered a week later. [...]
>
>  I feel this is a very SHORT TERM out look on what is important in the design
>of quality software.  If the "neighbour" is the type of developer that is
>willing to deliver "junk" to gain contracts, in the short run he may very well
>win these.  However, when the dues are to be paid  (maintenance, long-term
>reputation etc)... that Junk-Dealer will lose.

An unfortunate fact of life is that the company MUST win contracts
if it is survive long enough to attempt including "quality" in it's
products "someday".  This means delivering junk now, and winning
follow-on contracts to fix what probably could have been done right
the first time.  The piper will be paid, but that'll be the next
guy's problem.  (This is one reason Japan out-competes the US in
some areas ... we are beginning to pay the piper for past mistakes)

True, it is short term thinking, but few companies think past
next quarter's bottom line.  As a software engineer who wishes
to remain employed, I find I must "go along with the program", and
sneak in whatever quality I feel I can get away with.  (It ain't
easy sometimes ... I've put in more than my share of unpaid hours
for a project that should have been scheduled better)

Until Quality is mandated from the boys in the glass towers
(TRULY mandated, not mere lip-service), us folks in the trenches
have to do whatever we can to survive.  That probably means more
unpaid hours for employees, and working yourself out of a job for
consultant/contractors (his code's easy to read ... replace him
with a cheaper employee!).

<<Questions on job-application:
     What is your two-year goal?
        Get employed!
     What is your five-year goal?
        STAY employed!!  (what do you expect? run for King?)
:-)
>>
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I got protection for my    |               Alvin "the Chipmunk" Sylvain
affections, so swing your   |   Natch, nobody'd be *fool* enough to have
bootie in my direction!"    |   *my* opinions, 'ceptin' *me*, of course!