I was taken on to work on some quite complex embedded ARM/C++ new development. Then the company got a load of orders and shut down the embedded work. The other embedded/future facing developers left the company immediately. I stayed and now find myself struggling with a massive unique C++/Qt software stack that has little documentation requiring the company gurus to help out. Lots of plugin stuff that means you dont get an error if you miss something out, the functionality just changes subtly. It is recognised by one manager there is something badly wrong, but he cant change it.
That seems to be a familiar situation these days. This book was useful for me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0131177052/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_PqHrFbTEPNCQB
As a footnote, the "bug" last night is one that hasn't actually been fixed yet. For some unknown reason the QC team had signed it off... which somehow is even more worrying
Quite a while ago I did some testing of a payroll system and found a fault which in my view needed fixing, it doubled people's deductions in very specific circumstances. The key users reckoned it was ok and signed it off for production, not before I'd covered my arse with copious documentation and emails through. It was nothing compared to testing the configuration of different country versions of a European rollout when I couldn't speak the languages though. I ended up signing off my own work, with numerous caveats, as the various countries wouldn't spare the staff to accept it. This was a well known global company as well.
Acceptable, but only for those who: - have trousers slightly too short - complain to HR if someone moves their coffee cup in the kitchen - turn up at the company Xmas do wearing a Linux t-shirt
I did a course a couple of years ago run by Michael Feathers. It was on reducing technical debt and was based around that book. Very good course that I would recommend. Was run by skills matter at the time Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk
I don’t really understand any of the above but I liked how it sounds . is this the sort of thing that happened to the Post Office computer stuff that resulted in folk wrongfully imprisoned for theft?
I've worked with the Post Office but on a completely different system so it wasn't me either. Although to be frank given the quality of some of the managers it's no surprise, some of the middle managers I worked with used to refer to their staff as pondlife.
Generally, any large IT project involving the Government ends in a almighty balls-up that costs the taxpayer millions. See recent Government Covid app for further details.
It's true. In the 30 years+ I've been working in I.T I can't remember a single project run by the govt that was done right, on time, and on budget. There's bound to have been one, right? Right???
I doubt it. Remember that we’re governed by people who don’t know how anything in their house works...
