Edmund Cramp wrote:
> John Hebert wrote:
>
>> Programming software requires more than just coding,
>> of course, just like building a house requires more
>> skills than simply measuring, cutting and nailing wood
>> together.
>
> A good point - you can write a first class program and find that it's
> a commercial failure because, although it works perfectly, it's got a
> terrible GUI, bad manual or is poorly marketed. I think that finding
> someone to write code is far easier than finding someone who can
> create a program that works intuitively. Coding skill is only a small
> part of being a good programmer.
>
There is no guarantee that having every piece of the puzzle will
make a particular product successful. Sometimes, it's just because no
alternatives exist. I point, very sharply, at Windows.
It's funny how almost all of these arguments can always cycle back
around in favor of Linux.
But, I do bring into question the statement that "coding skill is
only a small part of being a programmer". In my mind, it is the most
essential skill, second only to debugging. Without it, there wouldn't
be a program. Designing GUI's, writing manuals, and marketing are
perfect jobs for secondary people more talented in those departments.
>> Software development is a topic that is
>> being researched and debated about every day.
>> Hopefully it is improving.
>>
> It would be nice to think so - and I'd agree with you if the "The
> Mythical Man-Month" wasn't still in print - and as a 20th anniversary
> edition too ...
>
> Edmund Cramp
>
The ACM regularly holds seminars about this exact thing, as well as
the IGDA. But, unfortunately, these are largely academic affairs, and
hold more to theory than they do to real-world application.
David
