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"Quick 'n Dirty" vs. "Correct and Proper"?

Posted by Cliff on from the which-way-would-you-go dept.

A not-so Anonymous Coward enters this query: "I keep finding myself on projects where a quick and dirty solution will bring in money for the company, and a correct (ie, properly documented, well engineered, process followed, etc) solution will get us left in the dust. When the Q&D solution succeeds, I'm left trying to explain why it can't be the FINAL solution (to PHBs and Marketroids that were fully informed of the situation prior to any work getting done). Most recently, work I did in record time was used to help bring in several large contracts, and then I found myself in hot water for not having followed process et al. So, to Slashdot: is it better to do the quick thing and greatly increase the chance of $uccess now, or to do the correct thing and avoid pain later (assuming there is money to pay for the pain later)?"

18 of 887 comments (clear)

  1. It's like sex... by PeteyG · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's like sex.

    Quick and dirty, like getting drunk and meeting some stranger in a motel room, will leave you feeling gross aftewards.

    Correct and proper, like wooing a nice and attractive young lady, takes time, hard work, and if it works out, leads to something wonderful and long-lasting.

    Either way, you have sex. But which one would you rather tell your mother about (or rather, put on your resume)?

    --
    no thanks
    1. Re:It's like sex... by Gr33nNight · · Score: 3, Funny

      I dont know about you, but I DO NOT tell my mother when/if I get laid. There are some things she really doesnt need to know about.

    2. Re:It's like sex... by flowerp · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Either way, you have sex. But which one would you rather tell your mother about (or rather, put on your resume)?

      Sex on your resume is ALWAYS bad. See Bill Clinton.

      (Unless you are a porn star of course)

      --
      --- Eat my sig.
    3. Re:It's like sex... by Xugumad · · Score: 5, Funny

      That, and it scrunches the paper up...

    4. Re:It's like sex... by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 3, Funny

      And which one would you rather brag about around the coffee pot?

      You: "Yeah, it took me seven times longer than Joe in Graphic Design, but the quality... Oh, the quality..."
      Coworker: "Joe did it seven times before you did it once? You are the suck."

      --
      Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
    5. Re:It's like sex... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
      which one would you rather tell your mother about

      I don't have to tell your mom about the quick and dirty - she was there.

    6. Re:It's like sex... by xenocide2 · · Score: 4, Funny

      But you'd put "Nailed a super model in a very uncomfortable place" on your resume?

      C'mon, the back of a volkswagon, people!

      --
      I Browse at +4 Flamebait

      Open Source Sysadmin

    7. Re:It's like sex... by micromoog · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Iraq has weapons of mass destruction."

    8. Re:It's like sex... by Alpha27 · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's interesting how you say 'when/if' as opposed to just 'when'

    9. Re:It's like sex... by Cloud+9 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hold on. Let me run that through my engrish-english translator...

      --
      Karma: Dyn-o-mite!(mostly affected by Jimmy Walker reading your comments)
    10. Re:It's like sex... by Dr.+Photo · · Score: 4, Funny

      Nailed a super model in a very uncomfortable place

      Hooray for double-entendres! :-)

  2. I think for the few truly excellent programmers: by ath0mic · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Quick 'n Dirty" == "Correct and Proper"

    ...and believe me, I'm not one of them.

  3. *Cough* *Cough* by buffer-overflowed · · Score: 5, Funny

    Clicky Clicky.

    Truly, things to program by (or not).

    --
    The key to the enjoyment of pop music is to replace any instance of "love" with "C.H.U.D."
  4. Re:Correct and Proper by flying_triguy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Correct and Proper
    Otherwise you're going to spend all your quick cash on fixing bugs and supporting craptacular software, not to mention bad press and angry users.

    But you'll be RICH

  5. Re:memo by suso · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, did you get that memo about the TPS reports? Well it's just that now we're putting a cover sheet on them and if you could do that in the future it would be great. Thanks...

  6. Re:I think for the few truly excellent programmers by forwhomthebelltrolls · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why did I think of this Dilbert comic strip when I read your message?

  7. TPS?FUBAR? by siskbc · · Score: 3, Funny
    What's this I hear about you not putting cover sheets on your TPS reports? Didn't you get the memo?

    What the fuck's a TPS report? Did we discuss that last week while I was still drunk from the night before? Am I fired?

    --

    -Looking for a job as a materials chemist or multivariat

  8. Re:Do Both. by mackstann · · Score: 3, Funny
    *** CONGRATULATIONS ***

    You are today's lucky winner of the slashdot post predictability sweepstakes for your outstanding job of:

    [ ] Preaching about Gentoo
    [ ] Preaching about Debian
    [ ] Overuse of buzzwords to conceal ignorance
    [x] Bashing Microsoft

    Your prize awaits you on the other side of the mountain dew can mountain in your basement.

    Thanks for playing!