This has been a thoroughly fascinating read. The attitudes towards development are echos from the late '70s and the '80s. The wheel of incarnation is still turning guys & gals.
Since the economics of systems have not changed much (70% of the cost of a system is in maintenance) I find it humorous that nobody has mentioned making code clear for the poor maintenance (enhancements, refactoring) schmuck. Everyone including the hoodwinked managers are focusing on the "window of opportunity" a.k.a lost opportunity cost of getting the project done - to market. This is as wrong headed now as it was in the '80s.
Unless you are writing one-off systems that have a real world, crucial deadline - think new scud detection techniques during the 1st gulf war [done in Lisp BTW] - just focus on making systems that can first and foremost be comprehended quickly by someone else. You're working in a team. Right? All the rest of the hyper-fast development hoopla is self aggrandizing and for the most part a waste.
I must admit though that the reminiscences of the days of "feeling like an artist" contained in this thread bring back heady memories. I hear the egos of me and my prior associates sprinkled throughout this thread.
Since the economics of systems have not changed much (70% of the cost of a system is in maintenance) I find it humorous that nobody has mentioned making code clear for the poor maintenance (enhancements, refactoring) schmuck. Everyone including the hoodwinked managers are focusing on the "window of opportunity" a.k.a lost opportunity cost of getting the project done - to market. This is as wrong headed now as it was in the '80s.
Unless you are writing one-off systems that have a real world, crucial deadline - think new scud detection techniques during the 1st gulf war [done in Lisp BTW] - just focus on making systems that can first and foremost be comprehended quickly by someone else. You're working in a team. Right? All the rest of the hyper-fast development hoopla is self aggrandizing and for the most part a waste.
I must admit though that the reminiscences of the days of "feeling like an artist" contained in this thread bring back heady memories. I hear the egos of me and my prior associates sprinkled throughout this thread.
Bon chance.