Was FORTRAN buggy 4351

On Fri, 15 Sep 06 10:26:17 GMT in alt.folklore.computers,

So, if it's not broken, keep on using the same old software, and put up with it. If it needs changed, they can either take the advice of the professional doing the change, get someone else to do the change their way, or do it themselves. Refusal to make any estimate for doing it their way resolves the issue, with one of the aforementioned outcomes. Management have regretted or apologized for not taking my advice on a number of occasions when I have done it their way.

I am talking from a project POV: I know I have been mostly lucky, especially in the teams I have worked with, and people I have worked for, also the projects I have worked on. I have got to do drastic maintenance on nasty messes, and new work on perceived complex problems: KISS works every time, and good docs for what's been done.

ISTM the scientific instrumentation POV is probably mainly academic, where they'll settle for some half-butted result produced by a bunch of free code monkeys with a commercially unacceptable amount of effort. The military is probably not too different, in that they get some half-butted result produced with a commercially unacceptable amount of effort by expensive contractors, half of whom manage the other half who document the process, while the real work may be done by a small sub-contractor who only sees the specs.

-- Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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