RE: [FWP] Re: HUMOR: you have to see this code!

["Larry F. Allen-Tonar" <larryat@cts.com>]

Jeff,

At 12:37 PM -0500 11/7/99, Jeff Boes wrote:
>> Behalf Of Charles H
>> Subject: Re: [FWP] Re: HUMOR: you have to see this code!
>> Yes, it's weird, and yes it's almost funny.
>> But it probably does what he wanted it to
>> do, and he probably has a god-awful lot of hours invested in it,
>> and he is probably proud of his work.
>
>To the "professionals" on this list: If he bills himself out at $200 a day
>and can create a functional script, and you bill yourself out at $1000 a day
>(but can create the same functionality in 20% the time), aren't his skills
>worth the same as yours to the end customer?

No.  Reducing time-to-market is a critical utility of our service.
Even if he worked 7x24 vs our 5x8, in one week he would have 168 units
accomplished while we would have 200 units accomplished.
His quality-of-life would be pretty poor, too.  ;}

No.  Even if it apparently works on one platform, with one set of input
conditions, is it maintainable?  Unmaintainable code has negative
long-term value to the customer.

No.  If he doesn't understand the algorithms behind what he is doing, is
his code valid (doing what he intends it to) and verifiable (does what
the customer really needs)?  Someone who has invested years in education,
and understanding various algorithms and all aspects of SWEngr is likely
to deliver a product which is more likely to keep working over a wider
range of inputs than was initially conceived-of, more likely to use
more efficient algorithms and constructs, and more likely to meet the
customer's long-term requirements rather than accepting the customers
initial requirements.
--
Regards, Larry F. Allen-Tonar <mailto:larryat@cts.com> +1 760/746-6464 (voice)
         Software/Firmware Designer
         P.O. Box 463072
         Escondido, CA  92046-3072
"Futuaris nisi irrisus ridebis.", Carlton in _The Road to Mars_ by Eric Idle

==== Want to unsubscribe from Fun With Perl?  Well, if you insist...
==== Send email to <fwp-request@technofile.org> with message _body_
====   unsubscribe