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Who Doesn't Use Source Control?

Posted by Cliff on from the cowboy-care-free-programming dept.

VegeBrain asks: "I was reading the description for for a new book, Pragmatic Version Control using CVS and was shocked to read that 'Half of all project teams in the U.S. don't use any version control at all...' Is this true? If so, why? I can't imagine being without one so I'm wondering why anybody would avoid using one, especially now when so many are available for free. Am I missing something here and there really are reasons to not use a VCS?"

2 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Legal Reasons? by sepluv · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you are a proprietary software company who illegally copies copylefted (or even other proprietary) code into your work, VCSs leave a chain of evidence ready to be subpoenaed by the court when the FSF et al get wind of your activities.

    --
    Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
    [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
  2. It is true by MobyDisk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is kind of like asking "Who doesn't comment their code?!?"

    1) It is not part of CS curriculum so students never hear of it. Unfortunately, That goes for concepts like "design" and "requirements" too.
    2) It is seen as an enterprise solution, not for individuals.
    3) Many individual developers are lazy. They only use it because they are forced to do it.
    4) Many developers first see source control systems that are expensive and complicated. (I won't name names right now). Free/OSS solutions like subversion are almost "cult" even if they are better than most commercial systems.