"Process" isn't the problem, so much as the degree to which process consumes so much of our time and energy. I fear that we tend to think that the right process will somehow prove a panacea -- or we become so focused on process that tend to neglect other aspects, well, of the activity of software development.
--- "A. Forrey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > My take on this is that The "Process" is a guide not a catechism and > the > pre-defined set of steps, documents and stages is a reminder of what > may > need to be considered and developed to facilitate the "Work". In the > M/VistA environment this may be different than that in other work > settings. The point has to be that these aspects support effective > work. > > > On Wed, 5 Oct 2005, Larry Andreassen wrote: > > > Comparing small and large team projects I've been involved with... > > Small teams... "Do the work..." > > Large teams... "Do the process..." > > By process I mean a pre-defined set of steps, documents and stages. > And, > > often these stages do not fit naturally with the work. > > On 10/5/05, Kevin Toppenberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> From an outsider, it seems that more manpower WOULD be better, > within > >> reason. > >> > >> It seems to me that creating software should be somewhat similar > to > >> any other engineering project. My hospital has been adding a new > >> wing for the last year or so, and it certainly wouldn't have gone > up > >> faster if there had been LESS people working on it. There has to > be > >> some optimal number of people to work on each aspect of > element/stage > >> the project, and then there is the interdependence of stages > (can't > >> start step 5 until step 4 is done etc.) > >> > >> I am also interested in following the computer gaming industry > (which > >> by the way earns more each year than the movie industry, for the > last > >> two years). Consider a typical 3D game. It requires the following > >> basic elements: > >> - base art creation > >> - 3-D model creators > >> - 3-D model animators > >> - game shell to run levels > >> - game level creators > >> - music composition > >> - sound effects > >> - overall story creator > >> - management team > >> - database functionality (if MMOG) > >> > >> It seems to me that within each aspect of the project, you are > going > >> to have more productivity with more manpower--albeit with > deminishing > >> returns at some point. e.g. 6 modelers will get the game's > resources > >> created faster than 2 would, but 20 modelers might not be able to > work > >> at 100% effeciency. So I can imagine creating a graph with > X=number > >> of workers and Y being the total productivity. The curve would > start > >> out with a straight 1:1 increase, but then flatten out at extra > >> workers help less and less. > >> > >> So the issue would be as to how much the project can be divided > into > >> truly unique aspects. There was a comment before that division of > the > >> project causes the individual parts to loose site of the whole, > and to > >> get demoralized etc. Perhaps that would be because the parts were > not > >> as unique as in my example above. In my example, I can't image > that > >> one person could be the musician for a game, and also a database > >> programmer. But if you had two teams both working on databse > issues, > >> there could be problems. > >> > >> Anyway, enough writing about something that is completely outside > my > >> area of expertice! I have woken up way to early this morning (4:00 > >> am), and I think I'm rambling a bit.... :-) > >> > >> Kevin > >> > >> > >> On 10/4/05, Gregory Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >>> Fred Brooks was a hopeless optimist. > >>> > >>> > >>> === > >>> Gregory Woodhouse > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> > >>> "One must shy away from questionable undertakings, even when they > have a > >>> high sounding name." > >>> --Albert Einstein > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> On Oct 4, 2005, at 5:29 PM, Ben Mehling wrote: > >>> On 10/4/05, Nancy Anthracite <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > >>>> I have been trying to recall, but I think it is something like > >> doubling > >>> the > >>>> number of programmers quadruples the time it takes to complete > the > >>>> project ...or something like that. > >>>> > >>> > >>>> On Oct 3, 2005, at 10:51 PM, Nancy Anthracite wrote: > >>>>> I have I heard this before as an aphorism with a lot fewer word > but > >>>>> exactly > >>>>> the same meaning. As I recall, I heard Rick Marshall pass it on > >>>>> as a quote > >>>>> from someone else about what happens when you add more > programmers > >>>>> to a > >>>>> project. > >>> > >>> I'm going to guess you're thinking of the 'classic' book Mythical > >>> Man-Month? > >>> > >>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month > >>> > >>> - Ben > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> ------------------------------------------------------- > >> This SF.Net email is sponsored by: > >> Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, > discussions, > >> and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Hardhats-members mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members > >> > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by: > Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, > discussions, > and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl > _______________________________________________ > Hardhats-members mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members > === Gregory Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "Without the requirement of mathematical aesthetics a great many discoveries would not have been made." -- Albert Einstein ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Power Architecture Resource Center: Free content, downloads, discussions, and more. http://solutions.newsforge.com/ibmarch.tmpl _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
