Fixing Software
From the October 9, 2009 Vol.31 Issue 25 of Processor
Computer Software is among some of the most intricate and elaborate creations—complexity that’s likely the root of why it’s so failure-prone, hard to use, quirky, and rife with security holes. Yet is software really so different from other inventions? Is it inherently more byzantine than a jetliner, automobile, or even cell phone? Or is the problem more that standard software development practices just haven’t matured?
Harold Hambrose, in “Wrench in the System,” argues the latter: that software systems aren’t subjected to the same rigorous, formalized design and specification processes as their physical counterparts. “It’s just a product—a man-made tool that is developed, manufactured, marketed, licensed, and sold,” he says. Yet there’s one key difference: “We have come to accept that the software we use won’t work in the way we expect.”…
“Wrench in the System” is an insightful examination of the problems with today’s software systems and ways to improve them. Hambrose’s design perspective is a refreshing alternative to the conventional software development wisdom and should serve as a manifesto for those trying to improve the quality and usability of business applications.
