Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!aplcomm!uunet!sci34hub!sci!dc
From: dc@sci.UUCP (D. C. Sessions)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: use of metrics
Message-ID: <1205@mgt3.sci.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jun 91 13:03:40 GMT
References: <4794.284cfad3@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <35346@mimsy.umd.edu>
            <1991Jun7.074226.12105@netcom.COM> <35364@mimsy.umd.edu>
            <1991Jun7.201655.12088@netcom.COM>
            <1991Jun11.205939.9723@visix.com>
            <1991Jun12.003809.2408
Reply-To: dc@mgt3.sci.com (D. C. Sessions)
Organization: SCI Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Al.
Lines: 32


  There has been some discussion in this thread of the inappropriate use
  of metrics to evaluate individual contributors.  There seems to be a
  misconception that the primary risk lies in using metric-program 
  data to evaluate individuals; would that this were so.  There is, 
  unfortunately, a serious risk in the process itself, as used to 
  improve S/W development procedures, as illustrated:

  At a large and *very* well-regarded institution, the metrics program 
  had determined that successful projects devoted A % of applied time 
  to initial specification, B % to initial design, C % to coding, D % 
  to debugging, etc.  Having determined this, individuals were 
  expected to conform to the profile.  One misfit, for whatever 
  reason, spent more time on the initial phases and (perhaps as a 
  result) converged more rapidly on working product.  (Maybe the 
  relatively short test programs had something to do with the fact 
  that his products used DFT principles, or perhaps with the fact that 
  he spent more time on the test plan -- who knows?)

  As with any nonconformist, his misguided notions eventually resulted 
  in his downfall.  When evaluation time came around, he was upbraided 
  for insufficient attention to debug & test.  The word got around, 
  and other developers who had been thinking of trying to match his 
  consistent on-time low bugcounts rapidly disabused themselves of the 
  notion.

  (Here's another programmer legend in the making!)
-- 
| The above opinions may not be original, but they are mine and mine alone. |
|            "While it may not be for you to complete the task,             |
|                 neither are you free to refrain from it."                 |
+-=-=-    (I wish this _was_ original!)        D. C. Sessions          -=-=-+