Re:A Generation Lost in the Bazaar
by npsimons on Monday August 20, 2012 @11:36AM
(#4408056)
Okay, I'll name one: the F-35 flight control software. Take of that what you will.
Now, I've not been working in the software industry since before 1990, so I'm obviously not qualified to comment, but I'll say this: I can understand why a cathedral model might be warranted. Even using something like CMMI might be a good idea in some cases.
But for a lot of things, especially exploratory/experimental things, the bazaar model is really nice and can reap significant benefits. And the nice thing about the bazaar model is that if you want to follow a cathedral model, no one is stopping you! Go off and be your own little dictator with a "grand unifying vision". Come to think of it, that seems to be what many of the most successful open source projects are: one (or a few) people have a vision of an itch they want to scratch, and they pursue it with a bloody-minded persistence. The bazaar only comes in when someone forks or in the fact that anyone can compete or (try to) contribute.
And BTW, I do know who you are, and have a lot of respect for you, but in some ways this article (and your comments here) could be read as reactionary against the success of Linux and other more open OSS; the BSDs have always been more insular (or discriminating depending on your POV) and developed like cathedral models than Linux; oddly enough this has resulted in three distinct BSDs while there is still only one Linux kernel. I will agree that reading Brooks (and other computer history) is almost always a good idea; just MMM was enough to open my eyes to how little the industry has progressed (VirtualBox/VMWare? That's nice; IBM was designing full system emulators for hardware that didn't yet exist in the sixties).
Now, I've not been working in the software industry since before 1990, so I'm obviously not qualified to comment, but I'll say this: I can understand why a cathedral model might be warranted. Even using something like CMMI might be a good idea in some cases.
But for a lot of things, especially exploratory/experimental things, the bazaar model is really nice and can reap significant benefits. And the nice thing about the bazaar model is that if you want to follow a cathedral model, no one is stopping you! Go off and be your own little dictator with a "grand unifying vision". Come to think of it, that seems to be what many of the most successful open source projects are: one (or a few) people have a vision of an itch they want to scratch, and they pursue it with a bloody-minded persistence. The bazaar only comes in when someone forks or in the fact that anyone can compete or (try to) contribute.
And BTW, I do know who you are, and have a lot of respect for you, but in some ways this article (and your comments here) could be read as reactionary against the success of Linux and other more open OSS; the BSDs have always been more insular (or discriminating depending on your POV) and developed like cathedral models than Linux; oddly enough this has resulted in three distinct BSDs while there is still only one Linux kernel. I will agree that reading Brooks (and other computer history) is almost always a good idea; just MMM was enough to open my eyes to how little the industry has progressed (VirtualBox/VMWare? That's nice; IBM was designing full system emulators for hardware that didn't yet exist in the sixties).