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"An architect can reliably predict that a house or an office tower can be made from their plans." Yes, but that's because the plans are nailed down and fixed -
by AndrewDucker 13y ago
"An architect can reliably predict that a house or an office tower can be made from their plans."
Yes, but that's because the plans are nailed down and fixed - the creative design part is _done_.
"A chip designer can predict that a working CPU can be designed and built. An automobile designer can predict that a working car can be made."
Neither of these are true until _after_ the designs are finished. Intel has gone massively over-budget on chip designs before, and automobile designs have been abandoned after spending a fortune trying to get them right.
- gregjor 13y agoI think I'm not making my argument clear. Software development methodologies are PROMOTED as ways to improve the predictability and repeatability of software development. They are adopted because management (or customers) are scared by the usual chaos of software development. I think I clearly communicated my opinion that no development methodology in and of itself guarantees predictability or repeatability. They fail to meet the expectations of management; in other words they don't work. I also think I clearly expressed my surprise that even without management pressure programmers will adopt methodologies and then force themselves to follow the rituals. Maybe this happens because programmers don't know better. I think it has more to do with creating a firewall of process and so-called best practices to avoid oversight and criticism. Sometimes there's an element of showing off -- look at how Agile/OOP/TDD/whatever I am, and no one told me to do it!