Python in Process Control?

[Andrea Griffini]

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 12:12:39 -0300, Carlos Ribeiro
<carribeiro at gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tue, 05 Oct 2004 06:10:17 GMT, Andrea Griffini <agriff at tin.it> wrote:
>> In this field seems to me that really people try to
>> get above by standing on each other feet instead than
>> on each other shoulders; but this doesn't look to me
>> like just a software problem.
>
>Nice definition.

I liked it too... it's not mine.

I don't remember where I read it (probably in a site about
(against) software patents).

>Keeping with the same reasoning line, why don't the engineers that
>work in the company take more responsibility? Because they were never
>in such a position. They don't have a choice. They have to keep things
>running, period. The one who messes up with stuff is fired. And doing
>development is not their company business, anyway. Want to do it? Go
>working for a vendor.

Well... in our case we have customers that didn't probably
see an engineer in past 10 years. Still they can buy and use
rather hi-tech machines from us that cost several tens of
thousands of dollars. It doesn't come as a surprise to me they
don't want to take the responsibility for them being functional.
A sad part is that sometimes our customer support has to
spend time to explain people what does it mean to copy a file
from a floppy disk to a certain directory; but I've to say
that the users that create more troubles are actually the
"expert" ones. I would actually refuse to provide any support
to anyone relinking my application with a newer versions of
a library... you really wanna do it ? You're welcome, but
don't call me if something doesn't work and you've something
urgent to do with the system... unless you really like being
insulted over the phone. Luckily this doesn't happen often...
It's much more common (and a bit annoying) to see someone
fearing updates...

In the software development we're IMO still at the barbarian
level. Anyone can write anything, and no one takes any
responsibility for what has done. In our world you can buy
a spreadsheet and read in the disclaimer that if putting 5
in a cell, and 5 in another and asking for the sum you get 11
then you can't even ask for a refound; let alone the payment
for consequential damages. Try to imagine people building
airplanes using the same spirit.

Andrea