"Sean Breheny" wrote:
>> It *is* possible to write almost perfect code, after all...
>>
>> http://www.fastcompany.com/node/28121/print
>
> Anyone have any idea how they manage to make this work with actual,
> fallible, human programmers and managers?

I have no idea how they get anything done if they really do things the way 
they're described in the article. If your question is, "why their project 
doesn't fail given the vast amounts of red tape and bureaucracy?", the 
answer is -- virtually unlimited budget (money and time), and low enough 
stress where the team burnout is kept to a minimum (people don't leave in 
droves, knowledge is retained).

FWIW, I bet that not a single member of their team read the specs in their 
entirety.

The feeling I get from reading about the Apollo project, is that back then, 
things were done in a much more agile way. They broke down the project into 
small steps, had a lot of "first drafts" and simulations, and let themselves 
make plenty of mistakes. Notice that the Apollo project achieved all of its 
goals, and is considered a resounding success. Meanwhile, the Space Shuttle 
project did not achieve its objectives (whether they were realistic is 
another subject), and is considered by many to be a huge waste of tax 
dollars.

Vitaliy 

-- 
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist