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dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectInformation Systems
authorPhillip G. Armour
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The Chaos Machine
From Communications of the ACM

The Chaos Machine

Complexity, predictability, and modern projects.

Thinking Thoughts
From Communications of the ACM

Thinking Thoughts

On brains and bytes.

An Updated Software Almanac
From Communications of the ACM

An Updated Software Almanac

Research into what makes software projects succeed.

A Little Queue Theory
From Communications of the ACM

A Little Queue Theory

When more work means less done.

Vendor: Vidi, Vici
From Communications of the ACM

Vendor: Vidi, Vici

Some hidden costs of outsourcing.

Owning and Using
From Communications of the ACM

Owning and Using

On vital and supporting systems.

Estimation Is Not Evil
From Communications of the ACM

Estimation Is Not Evil

Reconciling agile approaches and project estimates.

What Is a 'Good' Estimate?
From Communications of the ACM

What Is a 'Good' Estimate?

Whether forecasting is valuable.

How We Build Things
From Communications of the ACM

How We Build Things: . . . and Why Things Are 90% Complete

It seems to be a law of software development that things always take longer than we expect. When a project manager talks to a designer, programmer, or tester...

The Goldilocks Estimate
From Communications of the ACM

The Goldilocks Estimate

Balancing two extremes in project estimation.

A Measure of Control
From Communications of the ACM

A Measure of Control

Some limitations on measurements in software.

The Difference Engine
From Communications of the ACM

The Difference Engine

Observations on cognitive diversity and team performance.

Testing: Failing to Succeed
From Communications of the ACM

Testing: Failing to Succeed

There are two situations in software testing that scare testers: when they see "too many" defects and when they do not see "enough."

Practical Application of Theoretical Estimation
From Communications of the ACM

Practical Application of Theoretical Estimation

One of the most popular and successful approaches to estimating software projects is the Putnam model. Developed in the 1970s by...

Don't Bring Me a Good Idea
From Communications of the ACM

Don't Bring Me a Good Idea

You want to know how to get my attention?" Jason Kalich asked the audience rhetorically. "First off, don't bring me a good...

Return at Risk
From Communications of the ACM

Return at Risk

Calculating the likely true cost of projects.

Contagious Craziness, Spreading Sanity
From Communications of the ACM

Contagious Craziness, Spreading Sanity

Some examples of the upward or downward spiral of behaviors in the workplace.

The Business of Software: The Ontology of Paper
From Communications of the ACM

The Business of Software: The Ontology of Paper

The next generation of software engineering will involve designing systems without using paper-based formats, instead using software to develop software.
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