["]{.963004418-09072003}dW: What do you think about software quality?
Beck: I wish developers would consider the enormous consequences of their actions. When I got my driver's license at 16, I was both elated and terrified; I had newfound freedom and responsibilities to go with it. Now, compare that feeling to when Microsoft sends me a new operating system. Do I have the same feeling? No, I think it's going to screw up my life for months. For how many decades and for how many millions of people has that negative emotion been created around software. I think it's such a shame we set our sights so low. Either you're stuck with software that works the way it works because you don't want to break it, or you get an upgrade that causes pain and anguish. I just want my stupid computer to work and it doesn't. That's not computing.
That we accept the status quo says such negative things about us as humans. If our laptops degrade at half the pace as before, that isn't progress. Sucks less isn't progress. What would it be like if you bought new software and you had that sense of increased responsibilities but also of infinite vistas? Our ambitions are so, so small compared to the opportunity.
He also talks about XP's beginnings in 1996 at Chrysler. We're using most of XP full time, and we'll be using it all as soon as we have enough people. It's really done wonders for us for project management, and I can't wait to see how much it helps developer productivity when we have full time pair programming.["]{.963004418-09072003} [via]{.963004418-09072003} [The .NET Guy]