Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder9.news.weretis.net!news.nk.ca!rocksolid2!i2pn2.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: D Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Joy of this, Joy of that Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:58:45 +0100 Organization: i2pn2 (i2pn.org) Message-ID: <7bbb95df-167e-6e29-642e-884cd1d92c5b@example.net> References: <1b166410-ecc1-f9e5-7218-cde9618f4686@example.net> <77840736-c143-e896-5da0-d0afae4915ed@example.net> <2118139f-4451-560b-5094-a3d61c05f0d3@example.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Injection-Info: i2pn2.org; logging-data="70403"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@i2pn2.org"; posting-account="w/4CleFT0XZ6XfSuRJzIySLIA6ECskkHxKUAYDZM66M"; In-Reply-To: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:61383 On Tue, 26 Nov 2024, rbowman wrote: > On Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:17:08 -0000 (UTC), Rich wrote: > >> Yep, exactly. If they can be given instructions that match their "lego >> brick set" they can snap something together. Ask them to do anything >> that requires creativity or research and understanding, and you get back >> a turd that has had hours of polishing applied. > > The holy grail for management is a design methodology that gets adequate > results from a workforce of varying aptitudes. Particularly for larger > corporations you'll get a normal distribution, a few very good, a few > completely useless, and a lot of mediocrity. That's what you have to work > with. > > What I've seen over the years is a company will luck out, get a better > than average distribution, and achieve success. Whatever they're doing is > taken as an example of the right way and copied mechanically. Top down > structured programming, agile, devops, and so forth have their day. > > TI lucked out in the '70s and used something they called 'matrix > management' that became the new Wunderkind. The '80s brought 'In Search of > Excellence'. > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Search_of_Excellence > > Good money was made from book sales and training sessions from independent > snake oil salesmen preaching the gospel. The company I worked for had one > of the sessions. Not too many of the 'excellent' corporations are around > today. > > About 10 years ago the company I now work for had a 'pair programming' > session. That was hilarious. The 'experts' were only familiar with Apple > machines and other than the one they brought there wasn't an Apple in the > building. Having been through required attendance things before my team > carefully stayed to the back of the room where we could slink away and get > back to business. > > I'm sure the next methodology will wrap itself around AI, spin off > training companies, and mostly fail to deliver on the promises. > > Ahh... and today you have agile snakeoil salesmen! I heard a story from the girlfriend of one of my consultants. Her company, a computer game company, hired an "agile coach" who was workshopping away like a madman. One programmer said... "but this agile thing, it seems to me like it will become less efficient and more work, that's bad", the snakeoil salesman responded "I hear you and appreciate your concern, but if agile makes things worse, you're not doing it right, and that's why we are here"! ;)