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Why Software is Hard

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the comedy-and-software-are-in-the-same-club dept.

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."

21 of 409 comments (clear)

  1. Not to take potshots, but by Mateo_LeFou · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    --
    My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
    1. Re:Not to take potshots, but by edwardpickman · · Score: 5, Funny
      ...can anyone explain Vista's schedule in light of this discovery?

      Another law explains it, Entropy.

    2. Re:Not to take potshots, but by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Funny

      All the programmers got better jobs at Google?

    3. Re:Not to take potshots, but by dreamlax · · Score: 1, Funny

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

    4. Re:Not to take potshots, but by h2g2bob · · Score: 4, Funny

      Another law explains it, Anti-trust.

    5. Re:Not to take potshots, but by dreamlax · · Score: 2, Funny

      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.
  2. Nine women cannot have one baby in one month by euice · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  3. Re:Ah! The great unknown... by canUbeleiveIT · · Score: 0, Funny

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

  4. Re:Programmers by bennomatic · · Score: 4, Funny
    Where do you live? The 50s? You may want to ask some women you know about using that particular illustrative image.

    --
    The CB App. What's your 20?
  5. Becuase People don't know what they want! by Herkum01 · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.
    1. Re:Becuase People don't know what they want! by nomadic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or the ones who want the impossible

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

    2. Re:Becuase People don't know what they want! by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 3, Funny

      "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.

    3. Re:Becuase People don't know what they want! by JAFSlashdotter · · Score: 3, Funny

      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!

      --
      We apologize for the preceding message. All those responsible have been sacked.
  6. First Post! by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  7. Re:Programmers by cyborg_zx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Indeed.

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

  8. Re:Programmers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You may want to ask some women you know This is slashdot, you insensitive clod! Know women? Are you from MySpace or something?
  9. Re:Programming != Software Engineering by onkelonkel · · Score: 2, Funny

    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

    --
    None of them can see the clouds; The polished wings don't care.
  10. Re:Programmers by Aphrika · · Score: 5, Funny

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

  11. Re:Building with atoms... by dangitman · · Score: 2, Funny

    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?

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  12. Re:Programmers by bennomatic · · Score: 4, Funny
    > 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.

    --
    The CB App. What's your 20?
  13. Software is hard because by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    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.