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By Herring (Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:20:53 PM EST) (all tags)

and fun

Interesting theory propounded by a colleague of mine who I will refer to as Mr. S. (although his real surname is Sharma). Mr. S. contends that, whilst the rise of iterative and, indeed, agile methods may be good for software development productivity, they have been accompanied by a rise in beaurocracy - generally implemented by managers who "don't know fucking shit man" about these methods which has more than wiped out any possible gains. I am inclined to agree.

I am going on holiday (not by plane). We are going to France for two whole weeks so I should be able to give an informed opinion on whether it (France) is any good or not.

I probably wont be arsed with a diary tomorrow so I leave you with some games.

Today's Soduku:

Give the next two items in the following sequences:

H T P B D B _ _
V N S F C F _ _
9, 8, 24, 23, 17, _, _

Clues:

This is quite sad and also debatable
This is unbelievablely sad
Possible the should insert 10 at the beginning. Very sad.

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Poll

Since we've got a fucking shedload of poll options, pick England's Ashes opening 11. Choose 11. Don't pick two wicketkeepers.

-	Vaughn	28%
-	Trescothick	28%
-	Cook	14%
-	Collingwood	14%
-	Strauss	28%
-	Pietersen who is English. honest	14%
-	Bell	14%
-	Flintoff	28%
-	Read	14%
-	G Jones	14%
-	Harmison	28%
-	Panesar	28%
-	Sajid	14%
-	Hoggard	28%
-	Plunkett	0%
-	Anderson	0%
-	Dalrymple	0%
-	S Jones	14%
-	Gough	0%
-	Russell	0%
-	I have no idea what you are talking about	57%
-	Other	14%

Votes: 7
Results	\|	Other Polls

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Fun and games and fun | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

wtf by cam (2.00 / 0) #1 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:22:47 PM EST

the agile methodologies are process limited methods designed to overcome the rigid and suffocating methodology of the waterfall and engineering methods where it wasnt necessary.

Agile has been a good thing.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic

Not when combined with soffocating management by Herring (2.00 / 0) #2 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:26:29 PM EST

who don't understand and still wander round with detailed Gannt charts that extend 18 months into the future.

I figure when it's just developer and user (in perfect harmony) then it's by definition agile. It jsut doesn't involve giong on an expensive course first.

At least when the Tories got in, they didn't say their priorities were "Mining, Mining, Mining" - Mark Steel
[ Parent ]

: the only purpose for process by cam (2.00 / 0) #10 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 03:28:38 PM EST

is to ensure a 'quality' outcome. If the costs to develop are higher than the quality that it is expected then the process is too rigourous and burdensome, if the quality of the delivered product is lower than expectations, and the process so cheap and open; then it is time to revisit the process itself to ensure quality outcomes.
Too much process means the software is going to cost too much. In most places the developers and those producing product ignore the process most of the time anyway and still manage to deliver quality product.
Which is why the bare minimum of process is always a winner.
cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

Except by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #4 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:32:25 PM EST

When it's used as an excuse not to plan and to skip design.
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_{ウセーバラケダ}
[ Parent ]

As someone who is employed to design full time by Herring (2.00 / 0) #5 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:41:35 PM EST

Most of it is a waste of time. By "most of it" I mean the time consuming task of producing the "evidence" that management need to see that you're doing something.

If your developers are intelligent, they can grasp the concepts and the overall picture based on far fewer diagrams. If your developers aren't intelligent, well you're fucked.

I have done some arithmetic on a recent task with a particularly un-gifted specimen. In the time I tooke to draw extra diagrams outlining unlikely scenarios, produce a neatly formatted document, hold 3 handover meetings, point to paragraphs in my neatly formatted document in answer to queries, I could've coded it myself 84 times over. I timed it. I'm not allowed to code though.

At least when the Tories got in, they didn't say their priorities were "Mining, Mining, Mining" - Mark Steel
[ Parent ]

: Currently by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 02:18:43 PM EST

I have the opposite problem. "I want a working prototype next week, I think it should do $X", followed by the same statement next week with a different value of $X.
----
_{ウセーバラケダ}
[ Parent ]

Agile is quality focused by cam (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 03:25:51 PM EST

Basically its premise is, "the bare minimum amount of process to ensure a product which matches the customer's quality expectations."

In the case of software for the space shuttle, that is pretty high and the bare minimum is far more rigourous than 99.9% of software shops do. By the same token a lot of software developed in small shops requires day by day changes, so the quality expectations are lower and the process much more open and a case of, "Joe, can you add this?".

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

BTW by Herring (2.00 / 0) #3 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 01:29:11 PM EST

If reference to yesterday's poll, whoever voted for "one table per concrete class" is clearly wrong. That is just such a rubbish solution.

Take classes A (abstract) and B,C and D which inherit. How the fuck are you going to query "give me all the A derived classes" and still have some sort of unique ID? Silly person.

At least when the Tories got in, they didn't say their priorities were "Mining, Mining, Mining" - Mark Steel

France by thunderbee (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 02:16:16 PM EST

Where are you going?

France by Herring (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Aug 10, 2006 at 02:23:41 PM EST

Brittany. Near Morlaix. Not an area I know well. I love the Ardeche but I'm not sure I feel like embarking on such a long drive with les enfants on board. I suppose my parents did it - and without air conditioning. We'll see how it goes.

At least when the Tories got in, they didn't say their priorities were "Mining, Mining, Mining" - Mark Steel
[ Parent ]

: Nice place by bob6 (2.00 / 0) #11 Fri Aug 11, 2006 at 06:03:11 AM EST

British class weather. Try to take a look at the coast between Roscoff and Saint-Brieuc: it is worth the sight.

Cheers.
[ Parent ]

Fun and games and fun | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback