programming by evolution?

[Albert van der Horst]

In article <03db1c69-828a-4961-914d-62fe10ed88fb at w39g2000prb.googlegroups.com>,
Xah Lee  <xahlee at gmail.com> wrote:
<SNIP>
>
>Pascal Constanza wrote:
>> Yes. There are actually complete software development methodologies
>> built around these ideas. Google for "extreme programming" and "agile
>> software methodologies".
>
>Pascal Constanza is a Common Lisp fanatic. Note here, that eXtreme
>Programing is one of the snake oil, that ran like rampant wild fire in
>the industry around 2002, with many books published on it on the
>supposed motherfucking hip Software Engineering practices, but today
>you don't hear much of it. I haven't looked at =E2=80=9CAgile programing=E2=
>=80=9D
>agile my ass, but it is probably a waste of time.
>
>... what society overwhelmingly asks for is snake oil. Of course, the
>snake oil has the most impressive names =E2=80=94otherwise you would be
>selling nothing=E2=80=94 like =E2=80=9CStructured Analysis and Design=E2=80=
>=9D, =E2=80=9CSoftware
>Engineering=E2=80=9D, =E2=80=9CMaturity Models=E2=80=9D, =E2=80=9CManagemen=
>t Information Systems=E2=80=9D,
>=E2=80=9CIntegrated Project Support Environments=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CObject O=
>rientation=E2=80=9D and
>=E2=80=9CBusiness Process Re-engineering=E2=80=9D (the latter three being k=
>nown as
>IPSE, OO and BPR, respectively).=E2=80=9D =E2=80=94 Edsger W Dijkstra (1930=
>-2002), in
>EWD 1175: The strengths of the academic enterprise.
>

A couple of weeks ago, a collegue of mine held a lecture about
a company where he is hired,
building paper-folding and envelope-handling machines.
(We are hired hands).
Real time, and real time simulators. Full regression tests
after each change. Agile scrum all the way down.

It looks impressive especially from where I stand. ( Formal procedures that
take 6 months, and bad fixes because approved changes were no
good after all.)

So not dead by a margin, and less snake oil than most methodologies
I know of.

>  Xah

Groetjes Albert

--
-- 
Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS
Economic growth -- like all pyramid schemes -- ultimately falters.
albert at spe&ar&c.xs4all.nl &=n http://home.hccnet.nl/a.w.m.van.der.horst