Charlie's Commentary about Software Development

When I worked, for some reason, our NASA provided PCs came with a CD-ROM drive (but no CD-ROMs) and Windows NT. The CD-ROM drive, however, did just fine playing audio CD's.

One afternoon, I was checking with Jim about some of our data interfaces. Jim, up to now, has been a Mac expert, and he's getting the hang of Windows. I noted that he was playing an audio CD in the CD-ROM drive, and I asked him what he was listening to. He replied, "James Taylor." Listening to wimpy, insipid music results in wimpy, insipid software.

What Jim failed to recognize is that insanely great software must be coded to either Bach fugues or something like Boston.

Boston - closet software developers?

Tom Scholz, guitarist for Boston, has worked for Polaroid as an engineer. So, he should know about the development experience. The music of Boston has much to say about the software development experience. Consider:

• A pledge made by Management and Marketing to the Customer:
  • We Can Make It
• Duration required to get the requirements on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper:
  • Long Time
• Opening your paycheck envelope:
  • Used to Bad News
• Event that usually happens when applying power to the first hardware prototype:
  • Smokin'
• Any algorithm your manager could implement:
  • It's Easy
• Inquiries about compiler and machine bugs:
  • Can'tcha Say?
• What characteristic does your workstation most need?
  • Higher Power
• How you leave your workplace:
  • Walkin' At Night
• How you feel when it runs half-decent for the first time:
  • I Think I Like It
• Your mood when the software starts getting stable:
  • Feelin' Satisfied
• What Configuration Management makes you do:
  • Get Organ-Ized
• State never reached before software demonstrations and tests:
  • We're Ready
• What you have when you ship:
  • Party

Back to the top of Charlie's Sneaker Pages!

Last Updated: 14 July 2017

Click here to send E-mail to Charlie.

Charlie's Sneaker Pages copyright 1995-2024 by Charles L. Perrin.

READERS PLEASE NOTE: Names of athletic shoe manufacturers, shoe styles, and technologies may be trademarked by the manufacturers. Charlie's Sneaker Pages uses these names solely to describe the shoes with the same familiar nomenclature used by the manufacturer and recognized by the reader.