You all have a unique opportunity to learn the opinion of the man who started
the programming carrer over 30 years ago and survived all those "revolution s"
and have not become just an administrator or moved out or just is keep low
profile at.
It need to look at the root of the problem. The job of a programmer have
been being obscure and as result the bosses typically can not control
programmers. As you know if even a skilled programmer becomes a boss first
thing he does is stop coding. There are exceptions like me, but as the
exceptions only underline the rule.
So as everybody who have done something significant in programming if we are
awarded it is never for the real best achievements. So the normal system of
awarding/ punishment does not work. All those titles like software
engineer/architect/analist/teste/ computer scientist/designer are just
nonsence that anybody who happened to get good education outside of CS and
work close with engineers/scientists/technologists/architects etc. in other
areas will agree instantly.
Since begining to current days the job of programmers is similar to dark
ages locksmiths and builders. And even such external features like use of
paintings
covering the applications at modern time are similar to those that were used
on products at dark ages. The primitive features of products, were
"compensate d" by rich ornamenting etc.
What changed for 30 years it is great power and resources of hardware
complimented by degrading skills of programmers and enforcement on users the
toleration of existing flaws in the software products. It was time when I had
problems to explain to boss why the codes include errors and we need so many
time to correct them, when my subordinate has title seniorsoftware engineer.
No we already read that the vendor has absolutely no responsibility for the
result of using the software product. Something like you buy a comic book
where mistyping makes it even more funny.
So in such an environment surely the market forces stop working and just a
well connected and agressive salesmen become leaders in software IT.
As the hardware developers are true engineers etc, (I am forced to use such
term)
so eventually the war with programmers/artsmen actually at the best started
and have been continued as the matter is responcibility toward users.(Can you
image a hardware vendor makes such declarations as software developers do)
As contrasting comic books software used for more significant purposes, so
the top management of IT is assigned from the most trusted. As to be in the
middle of such disorder and preasure is not much pleasure, so the top
management of IT are the people who have no skills in any area. It does not
deserve to continue as the proffecionals know what is going in the offices.
Now about the Lunix and Unix. Considering all written, naturally since
begining are attempts to eliminate programmers as the occupation, reduce
expenses etc.
So history of programming is history of wiping generations of programmers on
base inventing next magic tools that has to solve the mentioned problems. As
result the skills of programmers are losing and again and again all circle
starts. Actually on logical level the software innovations are mostly on
level inventing new terms for the old objects and really advanced features
are lost for simplicity of new gurus developing new tools and imposing
without any engineering/scientific foundation new prohibitions. I have many
examples, but just one I will provide.
IBM mainframes OSes have requirement that before a program start, it must
declare all it input and output (JCL for an instance) that is very strong
tool for preventing many troubles viruses included. Considering the history
of UNIX it was not needed for initial scientific reasearch users. Window as
simplifyed UNIX and
developed uncoordinated group of new generation of Gurus surely did not used
the ideas of mainframes and surely did not worry about considering the each
Window interface to be declared and have to be persistently identifyed. It is
even worse.
The window structure includes the ID property, but it is not required to be
filled
when it would be the key feature for security control of. Actually the
Windows is not finished at main features development just for the reason,
that as internal job is not understood and awarded, so creating news visible
colorly blinking funny features continued. Surely many people get good
profits at support etc.
Surely smart businessman have no skills for writting logically clear
description
of structure of windows and redoing the already done things without any
central management. It gives so many fun for new generation. Everybody hoping
to get monopoly at support of those monstrous dinosauer size "free software".
That the result will be absence of standards and many versions flawed
software
that can not be integrated nobody care. The idea having access to source
codes is allusion as when it get into mass use it will be imposible for the
reasonable time
to make researches in those number of lines developed by various people
without common plan, standards and surelly interested to monopolize the
support. So it should be done the way difficult to get in. Second way is
created commercial version where the codes again are secret. So just again
wiping the developers.
I have survived so many "revolution s" and will survive next one. Will you?
"Harry S." wrote:
The war of the OSes was won a long time ago.
SNIP<
I hate wars, especially these Jihads between Windows vs Linux vs BSD vs AIX
vs MacOS X vs Tru64 etc... At the end of the day, they are all tools. Each
tool generally has its strengths and its weaknesses as well as being
particularly suited to a specific task.
I am a Linux user. I use it for my servers and for my desktop as it does
everything I need it to while being, on the whole, generally immune from the
nasties that tend to swirl around on the 'net. I get on well with it, it does
what I ask and has the suite of tools I need to do my job.
What did get for my Mum and Dad? MacOS X. Why? Because it's big and
colourful and bouncy and does what it says on the tin without having any
serious worries about internet nasties whilst being able to browse the web,
send e-mail and download and print pictures from their digital camera.
What did I use for the desktops at work? Windows XP. Why? Because the
Microsoft business solution is one of the more scalable and coherent ones
available. Linux desktops are great if you're a mad techie who doesn't mind
delving around with shell scripts from time to time, but at present, as good
as KDE, Gnome etc. are, they're just not as mature or coherent as the
Microsoft one.
Being an engineer, I'm a great believer in using the right tool for the
right job. It's idiotic and self-defeating if you stand on ceremony and end
up being a martyr just to prove a point. Use whatever solution is going to
provide the most cost effective solution to as many of your problems as you
can find. Every camp is going to have their evangelists, martyrs, critics
and, of course, users. At the end of the day, make up your own mind and use
whatever tool best fits the job.
As I said, I hate wars :-)
ATB,
--Harry
