[CLUE-Talk] Software quality

[Richard Knechtel]

At 10:04 AM 12/10/00 -0700, you wrote:
>On Saturday 09 December 2000 20:30, Kevin Cullis wrote:
> > If you want to keep your job, I just talked with a recruiter yesterday
> > and she stated taht the two IT shops closed up because of poor
> > practices.  If software developers AND managers don't get the hint,
> > we'll all lose our jobs down the road to India. It won't happen
> > tomorrow, but the next day turns into next year.  While I'm not trying
> > to scream like chicken little, I am trying to let you all know what's
> > coming down the pipeline. Ignoring it like Luddites won't help you in
> > the long run.
>
>Kevin,
>
>People have been arguing this for 25 years.  Read the 'Mythical Man Month' by
>Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.  ISBN 0-201-00650-2.
>
>My point:  So called scare tactics like 'if you want to keep your job' fall
>on deaf ears.  I have not seen evidence that 'programmers from India' are any
>more qualified or concerned about quality than domestic programmers.  Despite
>the SEI certification, I would argue that if a shop is farming out
>development to save money likely does not care too much about quality (just
>my opinion).

Actually, businesses are importing programmers from India to cut costs. WE 
cost to much, THEY cost less. That is why the hubub about "we need more H1B 
visa's".  They want to get rid of American workers because we cost too 
much. Workers from other countries will work for less just to get into the 
U.S. -- Fact. I just got layed off from a company doing exactly this! They 
layed off 50% of their people (all American workers) and just brought in a 
bunch of programmers from India. And they couldn't speak english worth a damn!

>If you want to convince people that quality is important, you should start
>with cogent arguments that show how much less it costs to produce software if
>you build in quality checks while the system is built.
>
>The Business Week article draws parallels based on other industries, such
>as hardware manufacturing and automobile industries.  The fact is that
>building something tangible (hardware, autos) versus something intangible
>(sofware) is not comparable.
>
>I am interested in the CMM, however.  Unfortunately, this is just another in
>a long line of 'new ideas' that are never adopted.  Some previous ideas:
>'Structured Programming', 'Object-Oriented Programming', and TQA.

Here is a big fact for you. In order to do ANY business with the government 
now you have to be SEI/CMM Level 5 certified. If your not -- to bad -- no 
government contracts for you.


>My experience is that the accounting of software production is not at all
>accurate.  If software development were more like a factory, then management
>would not be so reluctant to collect statistics that prove software quality
>costs less the sooner it is implemented in a project.

>All software managers seem to think about is the product release date.  They
>have some irrational fear that if the date slips, so will sales.  If sales
>slip, then the company is in trouble.  It is extremely hard to convince these
>pin heads that the company will make a lot more money if we would test
>sooner.  When someone concerned with quality breaks into management ranks,
>their ideas never seem to get implemented.

I think it is not necessarily test sooner - but test better, more often and 
thoroughly. Not just run the program and figure "well it started and didn't 
crash - it must be ready to sell!".

>The US software market continues to accept (and pay for) lousy products.
>Even Ralph Nader commented on this issue  If people think the software
>they buy from Oracle or Microsoft (or Red Hat) stinks, then why on earth do
>they keep buying it?  This only feeds the cycle of non-quality assurance.  If
>consumers would say, 'I am not paying for Oracle 8i because many features I
>need are broken', then maybe Ellison and his gang of idiots would get a clue.

Case example:
When I worked for EDS we did a project for Buick - a customer lead 
management system. We were using SEI/CMM - (we were working on level 2 
certification). The customer kept us in requirements phase for TWO years! 
They couldn't make up their minds on what the hell they wanted. But as soon 
as we got them to sign off on the requirements it only took six months from 
start of planning and development to the system going into production.  Six 
months after the system had been in production only two bugs had been found 
in the whole system. Not bad for a system that comprised of C and C++, 
Java, Powerbuilder, and a little Clipper code, an oracle database, both pc 
and server side software components and web based components. The customer 
was more than pleased with the system.

Lets see M$ put out a product in six months with ONLY two bug found after 
six months. Won't happen! Neither with most any of the commercial software 
vendors - they just don't give a raging rats ass! They come up with things 
like DMCA and UCITA to keep their butts out of hot watter. That and the 
averge joe american is to stupid to speak up about the crap software. Just 
look at the people down in Florida who couldn't even vote right - this 
alone speaks volumes about the american public these days!  They also 
belive whatever is force fed them by big business.

>Like you, I want better quality in software.  I am sick of bugs that prevent
>me from getting my job completed.  Maybe Indian programmers will shock the US
>software companies into greater action.  Maybe will all be out of work soon.
>Like most things, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.  OTH - If we are
>out of jobs soon, then we can write more GNU software!
>
>Later,
>Jeff
>

Regards,
Richard Knechtel