Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ut-sally!im4u!milano!buckaroo!marks
From: marks@buckaroo.SW.MCC.COM (Peter)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: A Cynic's Guide, part 1
Message-ID: <302@buckaroo.SW.MCC.COM>
Date: 6 Mar 88 14:36:22 GMT
References: <2541@Shasta.STANFORD.EDU> <5313@utah-cs.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 18

In article <5313@utah-cs.UUCP>, shebs%defun.utah.edu.uucp@utah-cs.UUCP 
(Stanley T. Shebs) writes:

> 
> The solution?  Software engineers have to stand up for what they know is
> right, undisciplined hackers have to be retrained or fired, managers have
> to be knowledgeable about what is and isn't possible, and customers have
> to be both more patient, and completely unforgiving of mistakes in delivered
> software.  Nothing technical here; as Fred Brooks said, "no silver bullet".

It seems to me that the *solution* proposed here can be paraphrased as 
"people have to will themselves to change." If hoping for a silver bullet
is futile, how well does wishing for the magic potion called "will power"
stand up to scrutiny? Or perhaps this is a call to the Lone Ranger himself
to rid the world of evil-doers? Or is it merely a suggestion to go to Oz
and get some courage?

P-)