travis@delta.eecs.nwu.edu (Travis Marlatte) (02/01/91)
I have seen this several times, and it always confuses me. There is always someone trying to evaluate a programmer by measuring the quantity of the code produced. Besides the obvious means of subverting the measruing technique, a larger issue is at hand. We openly use production line quantity figures for evaluation - at least as a prize winning incentive. The goal is to have a person working at a production line station who can do the job faster than anyone else. Why do we want to associate this same mentality with producing software? I have never heard anyone suggest evaluating civil engineers by counting the number of bridges they produce per day. Or, counting the number of ICs designed in a circuit per day. Or, ... You get the idea. I don't think that I am wrong to say that quality is the higher goal - always has been - for other engineering fields. A manager or supervisor usually has a pretty good feel for the quality of work produced. Also important are the other attributes of a worker. Does that person interact well with others? Take responsibility? Have initiative? etc. I don't see that it is or should be any different for software professionals. I do view software production as a sequence of steps. Each one requiring different talents. But all need creative energy that counteracts the effect of measuring output quantity. Travis Marlatte