Label-Value (was: Re: Inheriting the @ sign from Ruby)

[Alex Martelli]

"Steve Williams" <sandj.williams at gte.net> wrote in message
news:3A379CB4.405992F8 at gte.net...
> Alex Martelli wrote:
>
> > [snip]
>
> > Maybe they took solidity _for granted_, because, in their
> > (Renaissance) times and in their (Architecture) calling,
> > compromises regarding solidity were simply unthinkable.
> > Well, we're not so lucky, in the software field, today; the
> > Firmitas of *by far* most software around is imperfect.
>
> [snip]
>
> I understand the Romans required an architect to stand under his arch as
> the falsework was being removed.

Neat idea (whether true or not -- that hardly matters!-), and
gives good (albeit mythical) background for Vitruvius' order
of priority.

The modern equivalent, in most cases, would be to require the
appropriate *managers* connected with a sw-development project
'stand under the arch' (or whatever we can come up with as a
fitting metaphor!).

The Roman architect was typically the prime contractor for the
building projects he undertook, as well as designer and
works-supervisor; as the building-art was well understood, the
chief reason for a building's early downfall would be, not
technical incompetence, but _greed_ -- trying to shave costs
(and increase profits) through inferior materials, shoddy
workmanship, &tc.

We don't really understand software development's technical
underpinnings quite as well as the Romans understood building's,
but I think that is not the key reason for most software's
defects; rather, I think most of them come from items that
stem more from management issues than strictly technical ones.

Too many features (else, marketing perceives, the product won't
sell) are scheduled to be delivered too early (else it won't
sell, and/or development will cost too much) -- often with
other brilliant 'cost-saving' ideas thrown in for good measure
(too few people, people not senior enough, not enough investment
in training, tools, and sundry productivity-enhancing doodads);
my take on it is that the often-displayed 'shoddy workmanship'
comes as a secondary and tertiary effect of all of this
'cost-saving' and feature-loading...


Alex