kmagel@plains.NoDak.edu (ken magel) (05/16/91)
In this news group there has been some recent discussion on which human
endeavor should be used as a model for software development. Some have argued
for a relatively stable and predictable activity such as building construction.
Others have argued for a relatively artisitc activity such as film making.
Is film making really a model which software developers want to emulate?
Consider the current state of commercial film making: most of what studios
and independents put out is not successful. No team or individual film maker
has an unbroken string of commercial successes. The criteria for a
successful film are unclear ( entertaining, money-making, innovative, great
acting, important story) and even when criteria might be agreed upon, the
customers generally disagree on how well a particular film meets those criteria.
There are even people who are bored by Casablanca or Citizen Kane and neither
actually made a lot of money.daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com (Dave Straker) (05/16/91)
> Is film making really a model which software developers want to emulate? >Consider the current state of commercial film making: most of what studios >and independents put out is not successful. No team or individual film maker >has an unbroken string of commercial successes. The criteria for a >successful film are unclear ( entertaining, money-making, innovative, great >acting, important story) and even when criteria might be agreed upon, the >customers generally disagree on how well a particular film meets those criteria. >There are even people who are bored by Casablanca or Citizen Kane and neither >actually made a lot of money. Sounds like a really good analogy! :-) :-) Dave Straker Pinewood Information Systems Division (PWD not PISD) [8-{) HPDESK: David Straker/HP1600/01 Unix: daves@hpopd.pwd.hp.com