… waste system resources all the time? Did you notice that, although computers are nominally a few hundred times faster than 15 years ago, software still tends to run sluggish and is overloaded with features?
How comes we’re so careless about resources on the user’s system? Not that I am against a little overhead that allows to make the software safer, but why for example use the .NET framework and put even more of a burden on the user’s system? Or why load DLLs that are not even used under some circumstances and could be dynamically loaded for the single case where it is relevant? Is it laziness or simply carelessness or maybe something completely different?
// Oliver
PS: This is indeed intended to get comments.
A combination of laziness, lack of knowledge and if you are in a commercial setting something called “time to market”.
Well, as far as I read – I am currently reading up on IT project management – time to market can be estimated quite exactly if the planning is correct and if the project manager controls changes instead of letting changes control the project.
So it might be less pressuring after all, if people find a more formal approach to tackle a project in the first place, I think.
// Oliver
It is still an estimate and most managers(project or other) at software companies have tendency let estimate the be final date regardless of problems. I’ve met only one project manager during my career that has changed scope, added resources or estimated final date when problems have appeared.
Being a little more formal is not a drawback, but I have found that the key is open discussion about problems and action on solving the problems that gives the alleviation of pressure on projects.
True, being open to discussion is very important. But what if you have a problem facing the manager? That’s why there should be some anonymous report channel as well. Depends on the project size – sure – but even in smaller groups I can see difficulties.
And your assertion about the estimates is most certainly true, but isn’t that more because the project manager sees himself as the right hand of the management, rather than the neutral mediator between all involved parties?
// Oliver