Ancestors

Written by Elisabeth Hendrickson on 2025-01-28 at 23:11

Reading the NATO report on software engineering that came out of the 1968 conference where the term "software crisis" was coined. (It's at https://www.scrummanager.com/files/nato1968e.pdf if you want to read it too.)

Currently on page 11. ELEVEN. (Out of 200+.) It says right here: "The need for feedback was stressed many times."

We knew. Have always known. Feedback is the key to everything. Any process that intentionally delays feedback is going to run into problems. We took such a wrong turn in the 1990s. Ugh.

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Toot

Written by Georg Berky on 2025-01-28 at 23:30

@testobsessed Would you say that this crisis is still ongoing? When I was working on my thesis, about 15 years ago, my TA said it was. When I entered the industry and later was able to look left and right, it definitely still looked like it to me. Having moved companies a few times now, I can see a few glimmers of hope, but my view is very limited. Would you mind sharing your take and experience on it?

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Descendants

Written by Elisabeth Hendrickson on 2025-01-28 at 23:47

@georgberky Jerry Weinberg wrote: "It may look like a crisis, but it’s only the end of an illusion." (Secrets of Consulting)

In that spirit, I don't think there ever was a crisis. Not really. Rather, I think a lot of folks held tight to illusions. They still do.

So. 2 big questions:

1. Can we get useful data so we can dispel illusions? Yes. It's much more straightforward to get data now than in 1968.

2. Do decision makers want to. Maybe? Maybe not? People do love their illusions.

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Written by Georg Berky on 2025-01-29 at 00:23

@testobsessed Thank you 🙏🏻. People seem to cling to them when disillusionment forces change upon them that is unpleasant 🤔. Was "we can plan software development start to finish line" one of them? Or maybe even "software has a finish line"? I'm beginning to strongly doubt the latter.

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