Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!tivoli!alan From: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Personal growth and software engineering! Message-ID: <549@tivoli.UUCP> Date: 5 Apr 91 19:10:23 GMT References: <9233@castle.ed.ac.uk> <1991Mar25.164133.29674@unislc.uucp> Reply-To: alan@tivoli.UUCP (Alan R. Weiss) Distribution: comp.software-eng Organization: Tivoli Systems Inc., Austin, TX Lines: 62 In article jgautier@vangogh.ads.com (Jorge Gautier) writes: >In article <1991Mar25.164133.29674@unislc.uucp> klb@unislc.uucp (Keith L. Breinholt) writes: >> Here's a simple fact of life--Measurement of a process or skill is the >> first step towards control of the same. > >No. Realization that the process or skill needs to be controlled is >the first step towards control of the same. Bzzt. Wrong. The *first* step is identifying a problem in specific terms. If there is not a problem, why bother? Note that this can include a desire to increase productivity and/or quality. But you better be specific. And numbers help here. >> Now if a supposed professional comes to me and tells me that they >> don't want to be measured (i.e. they don't want to improve). I have >> real doubts about the future of that individual. > >I don't mean to sound negative about this, but your i.e. is bullshit. >The people who don't want to change are the ones who don't want to >improve. Measurement has nothing to do with it. Some people don't >want to be measured because they know that the metrics being used are >bogus. If a supposed manager comes to me and tells me that they want >to "measure the software development process," I have real doubts >about the past and future of that individual. >-- >Jorge A. Gautier| "The enemy is at the gate. And the enemy is the human mind >jgautier@ads.com| itself--or lack of it--on this planet." -General Boy >DISCLAIMER: All statements in this message are false. Some people may not have a standard by which to compare themselves. True, some people don't want to change. We have a term for that: unemployed. In the '90's, we can be sure that change is constant ;-) If the metrics are bogus, then fix them by including the workers in the process. In this case, "process" can mean calling a short meeting, identifying dumb metrics, and coming up with meaningful ones. But to discredit measurements because some are unreliable is to throw the baby out with the bath water. If I were YOUR manager, I would have YOU measure yourself. And rest assured, you would not question my future because of it :-) You *might* even appreciate the chance to improve your skills (and therefore your value) in a non-threatening fashion. Clearly the absence of measurements relegates software creation to the arts, rather than as an engineering and/or scientific discipline. If this is your desire, you should make sure you get what you bargained for. No one is more aware than I of the role of people in the process. But treating programmers like anything less than professionals is insulting. Surely you don't mean this, do you Jorge? :-) _______________________________________________________________________ Alan R. Weiss TIVOLI Systems, Inc. E-mail: alan@tivoli.com 6034 West Courtyard Drive, E-mail: alan@whitney.tivoli.com Suite 210 Voice : (512) 794-9070 Austin, Texas USA 78730 Fax : (512) 794-0623 _______________________________________________________________________