Leprechauns of Software Engineering

“Everything everyone knows about anything indicates that this is untrue,” – Laurent Bossavit The words science and engineering are often used when discussing computers and software. These terms are not well-earned. The terms accidental technology, computer alchemy, or software by listening to unqualified influencers are just as useful. Don’t believe me? Read Laurent Bossavit, and then give me a call. Imagine you are at a serious software conference, full of serious people. A presenter confidently states that 75% of software is never used. The year is 1995, and that presenter is from the US Department of Defence. He explains that his department spent $35.7 billion on a software program (yes, that’s billion with a b). 75% of that software was never used. That’s $26 billion wasted. This is an extraordinary fact. To double-check its veracity, I would expect a very detailed study of the $35 billion dollar program from the team’s output. That wasn’t done? Ok, that’s a lot of work. Surely ... Read full article.