Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!viusys!uxui!unislc!klb
From: klb@unislc.uucp (Keith L. Breinholt)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Personal growth and software engineering!
Summary: Sean totally missed the point of the post...Measured improvement.
Keywords: Metrics, Measured-improvement, Quality
Message-ID: <1991Mar25.164133.29674@unislc.uucp>
Date: 25 Mar 91 16:41:33 GMT
Expires: 4/30/91
References: <9233@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Sender: klb@unislc.UUCP
Reply-To: klb@unislc.UUCP (Keith L. Breinholt,B2G08)
Distribution: comp.software-eng
Organization: Unisys, Unix Systems Group
Lines: 42


Sean> How to become a better human being and develop a more rounded (or
Sean> even perfectly spherical) personality through programming.

Greg> Simple accountability, which most people avoid (myself included!), helps
Greg> us do our best in every life situation.  Admittedly, being responsible
Greg> or accountable for our actions can make life uncomfortable.  Software QA
Greg> strives to recreate the desire for "directed perfection" in the software
Greg> creator.  It creates this desire by measuring the effectiveness, as best
Greg> it is able, of the creators and discussing the results with them.  Its
Greg> focus should be enhancing the creative powers of the individual through
Greg> incremental improvement of method.

Sean> Somehow I do not think that feeling good and a `can do' attitude
Sean> are enough.
Sean>
Sean> Is there anyone out there who wants to suggest half an hour of
Sean> transcendental meditation before tackling the morning's coding.

I don't think Greg was talking about a 'feeling good' or 'can do'
attitude to improve your programming.  If you reread the message
you'll find that he's talking about measured improvement.

Here's a simple fact of life--Measurement of a process or skill is the
first step towards control of the same.

Now, serious professionals are the type that like to improve their
skills through whatever means is necessary.  If I have a method of
measuring when I'm doing better versus when I screw up, I've just
learned how to improve my skills.

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.

Keith L. Breinholt
Unisys, Unix Systems Group
-- 
___________________________________________________________________________

Keith L. Breinholt		hellgate.utah.edu!uplherc!unislc!klb or
Unisys, Unix Systems Group	kbreinho@peruvian.utah.edu