Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!yale!bunker!shap
From: shap@bunker.UUCP (Joseph D. Shapiro)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: American Programmer
Message-ID: <3415@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 88 18:08:12 GMT
References: <555@psu-cs.UUCP> <1434@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: shap@clunker.UUCP (Joseph D. Shapiro)
Organization: Bunker Ramo, an Olivetti Company, Shelton, Ct
Lines: 43

In article <555@psu-cs.UUCP> warren@psu-cs.UUCP (Warren Harrison) writes:
> Perhaps what is most amusing is the universal agreement that "management"
> (whoever they are) is to blame. ... Yourdon points out that the average
>
> While I agree that management must share the blame on the general state of
> things, we (ie, programmers) have to bear some of the burden.

I think that one of the many ways that programmers must improve is in
standing up and saying NO to unreasonable expectations on the part of
management.

If management says "I need this in X weeks", but you know it can only
be done in 3*X weeks, or maybe you can glue something together in X
weeks if you work nights and weekends, what can you do?

a) work nights and weekends.  This might get you in good with the
boss.  Your boss may not even realize that you are doing something out
of the ordinary.  It is likely that management will expect the same
sort of productivity when they set the next deadline.  Also consider
that such efforts often leave some things "to clean up later", but that
you seldom get the luxury of going back and cleaning them up.  This is
can lead to a most vicious circle.

b) be willing to take a little heat and explain to management exactly
how long it will take to do the job right and WHY.

c) work extra hours but make damned sure that management understands
how much work is being done AND WHAT IT COSTS THEM both in terms of
overtime or burn-out, and in terms of lower quality in the resulting
product.

I seems that too many programmers are more willing to do (A) than (B).
(C) would seem to be the best of both worlds, but is actually a double
negative to most programmers -- "I gotta work late AND talk to
management?"

BTW, I was a programmer (still am under the skin) and am now a manager,
so I feel that I can see both sides.
-- 
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Joe Shapiro					"My other car is a turbo...
Bunker Ramo Olivetti				 too."
{decvax,yale,philabs,oliveb}!bunker!shap