MIS41020 - No Silver Bullet Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering.

Module - Design, Development and Creativity

Class or Article - Article

Lesson or Name - Brooks Jr., F. P. (1987) No Silver Bullet Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering. Computer, 20, 10-19.

Additional Info - 10-19

Precis

Fredrick Brooks argues that there is no silver bullets for the problems found with software development in the information technology industry in his article 'No Silver Bullet Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering'.Brooks argues that while there has been some advancements in moving forward they are nowhere near the developments of the hardware industry. There are hopes that technology itself such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or expert systems will automate programming. However promising this is, the most promising is all of the good work  going on that offers a steady prospect of small wins and improvements. Brooks presents that systems are easier for companies to buy than build now which shows the shift in the IT industry away from customised solutions to generic out of the box solutions and as a result there was a change observed in users who where now changing the way they worked in order to fit the machine/system. Brook suggests that equipping users with basic tools first and then leave them to go suggest idealisms similar to Microsoft office.

As users did not know what they wanted and in order to try and align users and development systems prototyping was seem as a potential addition to the dev process to help visualise what was being developed. Brooks renders the idea that any person can adequately specify a satisfactory system in advance of it being built void. Brook advises to take your time during development and build small components first and get them right, invest in great designers, methods and methodologies. And for a business it is key to identify talent, develop those people, create career and learning paths and give them opportunities to grow

Reflection

I find I have to agree with Brook here that there is no silver bullet to IT issues. IT perfection and the users needs and desires are both ever moving targets and ones hopes of achieving either are gradually diminish as technology and peoples insights and opinions improve. In order to keep abreast of these changes is indeed to incoiporate the user in development, allow flexibility to change and tweak designs, this can only be enabled and delivered through skills practitioners and that is why identifying talent, nurturing it, developing it and giving it chances to grown are vastly important.

In essence I feel if you are chasing a moving target or two in this instance, firstly incorporate the users where possible and second acquire and build great staff. Great staff will pursue the best designed and as a result keep you as close to keeping your finger on the trigger so one day you can shoot your silver bullet. For nowimprove your aim with development and great people sow when you are ready to fire you hit the mark.

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