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I think knowledge of his work is for the most part split by generations. Other influential people in computer science and software engineering have recently pa

by mkempe 11y ago

I think knowledge of his work is for the most part split by generations. Other influential people in computer science and software engineering have recently passed away, without any black bar. I think even a Turing Award is not enough to qualify. Some of their fundamental contributions to CS and SE reach back to the 60s and even the 50s. For people who weren't writing software in the 70s, 80s or 90s -- how would they have known Ed and his work? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Yourdon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Yourdon

setpatchaddress 11y ago
Some of us who were there at the time didn't appreciate his contributions, to be honest. Was there anything he was correct about in the long term? (I'm not asking rhetorically, I'm genuinely curious. I read "Decline of the American Programmer" at the time it came out, thought it was total rubbish, and didn't bother to read anything else he wrote. Did I miss out?)
- mikestew 11y ago
  That was the first Yourdon book I read (still have the hard-cover around somewhere), and because of that it was the last. I had the same impression as you: "sky is falling" garbage, and time has vindicated those of us who thought so. I know of Yourdon and can understand the general appreciation of the man, but because the first impression was last, I just never pursued the rest of his writing. Petty of me, I know, but there's always been a stack of other CS-related books that needed reading.
- hga 11y ago
  As mkempe notes, it's probably a generational thing. When I started studying software engineering in 1977 he was the most prominent figure in the books my city's college library had, I learned a lot back then from him and it's still generally relevant, although of course superseded as we figured out more things about the practice of software development ... or forgot rather a lot that had been learned back then.
- adrianhoward 11y ago
  I'd say so. His Death March is still a very relevant read for example. IMHO anyway.

by mkempe 11y ago

setpatchaddress 11y ago

Some of us who were there at the time didn't appreciate his contributions, to be honest. Was there anything he was correct about in the long term? (I'm not asking rhetorically, I'm genuinely curious. I read "Decline of the American Programmer" at the time it came out, thought it was total rubbish, and didn't bother to read anything else he wrote. Did I miss out?)

mikestew 11y ago
That was the first Yourdon book I read (still have the hard-cover around somewhere), and because of that it was the last. I had the same impression as you: "sky is falling" garbage, and time has vindicated those of us who thought so. I know of Yourdon and can understand the general appreciation of the man, but because the first impression was last, I just never pursued the rest of his writing. Petty of me, I know, but there's always been a stack of other CS-related books that needed reading.
hga 11y ago
As mkempe notes, it's probably a generational thing. When I started studying software engineering in 1977 he was the most prominent figure in the books my city's college library had, I learned a lot back then from him and it's still generally relevant, although of course superseded as we figured out more things about the practice of software development ... or forgot rather a lot that had been learned back then.
adrianhoward 11y ago
I'd say so. His Death March is still a very relevant read for example. IMHO anyway.