RE: Urgent INFO needed.

> part of the problem is that very few people can write decent
> specs - because in any creative process, and software
> engineering is one, you only converge towards the result
> through several iterations

Good point. If folks speaking the same language aren't communicating well how much more of a challenge is it when there is a language barrier?! Regarding clear specs, here's one of my keeper links about what it takes to write perfect software: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/06/writestuff.html

Steve Orr

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 4:30 PM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L Importance: High

I disagree about the 'you get what you pay for'. I have been reviewing in the past weeks code written both in Bangalore and in Paris, and in both cases I have had to reach for my Prozac box. For what had been written in France, it is the product of a big (US) consulting firm which must have been retrospectively happy to change their name a couple of years ago; note that it is in no way specific of them, I can exhibit dreadful code from multiple sources. I can assure you that it was both bad and expensive. Concerning what you pay for, I believe that whatever you outsource is far from being as cheap as it looks like; part of the problem is the existence of a contract, part of the problem is indeed the developers, part of the problem is that very few people can write decent specs - because in any creative process, and software engineering is one, you only converge towards the result through several iterations (just look at famous manuscripts or Old Masters X-ray pictures), and that interaction with end-users is essential.

Which means that I agree with the conclusion :-).

-- 
Regards,

Stephane Faroult
Oriole Software
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Author: Orr, Steve
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