Why Software is Hard

GoCanes writes "Salon's Scott Rosenberg explains why even small-scale programming projects can take years to complete, one programmer is often better than two, and the meaning of 'Rosenberg's Law.' After almost 50 years, the state of the art is still pretty darn bad. His point is that as long as you're trying to do something that has already been done, then you have an adequate frame of reference to estimate how long it will take/cost. But if software is at all interesting, it's because no one else has done it before."

Not to take potshots, but

[Mateo_LeFou]

...can anyone explain Vista's schedule in light of this discovery?

Re:Not to take potshots, but

[edwardpickman]

...can anyone explain Vista's schedule in light of this discovery?

Another law explains it, Entropy.

Nine women cannot have one baby in one month

[euice]

and of course, we are the better programmers, so better fire those other 8.

Re:Ah! The great unknown...

[canUbeleiveIT]

I'm not sure I like the way this is going. Software is HARD. The jungle is VIRGIN. Uh-oh...

Re:Programmers

[bennomatic]

Where do you live? The 50s? You may want to ask some women you know about using that particular illustrative image.

Becuase People don't know what they want!

[Herkum01]

I would say the reason a lot of projects, even small ones take so much time is that requirements cannot be defined.

Compare building a house to software. Before you build a house

1. Plans are drawn up
2. A step-by-step schedule to created for the construction.
3. Contractors are brought it to complete the work as needed

Schedule times can slip but you still know where you are in terms of progression.

If we built this house the way we do software development

1. Hire all the construction workers
2. Tell them to build something.
3. At any point during construction tell them they are not doing it right.
4. After missing all the deadlines (which were made up by wants/desires of the customer) hire more workers.
5. Wonder why they cannot get the job done
6. Cancel the project after everyone realizes they don't want it anymore.

First Post!

[Harmonious Botch]

Two of us typed this. We thought it might be faster.

Re:Programmers

[cyborg_zx]

Indeed.

It is well known that men are superior in the kitchen.

Re:Not to take potshots, but

[__aaclcg7560]

All the programmers got better jobs at Google?

Re:Programmers

[Anonymous Coward]

You may want to ask some women you know

This is slashdot, you insensitive clod! Know women? Are you from MySpace or something?

Re:Not to take potshots, but

[dreamlax]

I heard that all of the programmers suffered head injuries from having chairs thrown at them.

Re:Programming != Software Engineering

[onkelonkel]

Hey wait. I'm a software Engineer too. It says so right here on my wall. M C S E! The "E" stands for Engineer. So there.

/sarcasm

Re:Becuase People don't know what they want!

[nomadic]

Or the ones who want the impossible

Perhaps you'll tell the Emperor yourself WHEN HE ARRIVES!

Re:Programmers

[Aphrika]

...and also that 2 women are superior in the bedroom...

Re:Building with atoms...

[dangitman]

Even with code libraries it isn't as if one can order a window in a standard size, an 8 foot 2 by 4, or pvc pipe.

That can't be true. How can there be an internet if you can't order more tubes?

Re:Becuase People don't know what they want!

[Citizen of Earth]

"I'd like a car with extra wheels on top in case it flips and purple stripes and only 1 door...". Standardization is very limited.

Now imagine if every single weld was a unique, custom job that had never been done before, and if any of them are imprefect, the car crashes.

Re:Programmers

[bennomatic]

> Where do you live? The 50s? You may want to ask some women you know about using that particular illustrative image.

Wow... My first ever post that got modded down as flamebait. Awesome :-) Especially funny, considering the parent post which was blatantly sexist got modded up as insightful.

Software is hard because

[Anonymous Coward]

1. The pointy haired boss keeps buying silver bullets from vendors that take him on golfing excursions and forcing them down your throat.
2. You cannot plot a gantt chart of something that has never been done
before.
3. The pointy haired boss buys too many tech magazines.
4. The pointy haired boss buys into the whole development methodologies BS.
5. Only 1 in 20 programmers around you even knows what a array is.
6. The same pointy haired boss buys a bunch of expensive silver bullets from some vendors
and has no choice but to implement it or his ass is grass.

Software is hard because I cannot say any of the above without posting as a Anonymous Coward
and still keep my crappy job.

Re:Not to take potshots, but

[h2g2bob]

Another law explains it, Anti-trust.

Re:Becuase People don't know what they want!

[JAFSlashdotter]

And then, just as you finish the car, with wheels on top, hybrid Ferrari/DeLorean door, as requested, the customer reveals that it must travel up a smooth vertical surface and carry 2000 people. Sorry, did you need to know that earlier? Oh, and it has to provide oxygen, heat and cooling. What do you mean that will cost more? Product launch is March 1 and we've already been advertising the new system and hired all the new drivers! This will cost us billions, you stupid developers this is all your fault!

Re:Not to take potshots, but

[dreamlax]

Really? I found this in one of the leaked Microsoft emails:

Mr Ballmer's To Do List

1. Throw some fucking chairs at some fucking pussies.
2. Throat surgeon appointment at 2pm.
3. Chair-shopping with wife.
4. Give speech about developers at 4pm (emphasize "developers").
5. Throw more fucking chairs at more fucking pussies.
6. Chair exercises with personal trainer.
7. . . . something to do with chairs . . .
8. Increase budget to allow for more robust, harder-to-break chairs, someone keeps breaking them.